Jeff Mitz Crescent Says Goodbye
[From the remarks of Don Haag, Associate Director of University Counselling, at the Retirement Event]
J
eff Mitz and I came to work at Crescent in the year 2000. I was to be a Business Studies teacher and Jeff was to be Head of Guidance. As I watched Jeff work for those first several years I was able to watch a master at his trade. As Head of Guidance, Jeff always warmly welcomed students to his office, had a comfortable chair to sit in, and a sympathetic ear to bend. In 2006, a new position came about with the creation of the University Counselling Department. I thought about applying for the position of Associate Director of University Counselling, but was unsure of what the role would entail. Jeff Mitz sought me out, informed me of the work, and suggested that I apply for the job. I did. I got the job, and from that moment on, my life at Crescent School has never been better. I owe so much of that daily joy and excitement to Jeff. He has always been supportive of me in my role in our office, and at the same time supportive of my other roles in the School, that take me out of our office. From day one, I watched as Jeff was able to make boys and parents comfortable when there may have
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been some tension in the air. When a student was having some difficulty, he was able to get the boy to talk about his dreams and aspirations. He was able to travel the treacherous path that would allow the boy to find his voice so that he could explain to his parents why he wanted to pursue a career in music, business or history, versus a parental wish to have a doctor, engineer or banker in the family. Jeff told me his father said to him, and Jeff passed this on to so many of our boys, “Find a job you would be willing to do for free, and then figure out a way to get paid for doing that job.” It was always about allowing the boy to operate from a position of strength and self-assuredness. And all the while Jeff performed this high-wire act with grace, a great laugh, and a wonderful smile. I must admit that Jeff got me addicted to the role of University Counsellor when I saw the impact he was having in the lives of Crescent students. Jeff got me addicted to another of his past times (which feeds off of his highly engaged and academic brain), Sudoku. Often we would take a break and race through the daily puzzle in the Toronto Star. And when it was a tough puzzle on a Thursday or Friday, he would often
come into my office with a sly smile and say something like, “It’s a tough one today” or “You’ll get it, but it’s tricky,” as he slapped the completed puzzle down on my desk or showed me the finished product in his shirt pocket. In fact those Sudoku puzzles and Jeff’s ability to solve problems are at the essence of this wonderful man. His ability to find a solution when it appears to be a dead end; to test several options; to look at problems from different levels; to experiment; to learn, and to succeed by finding the right fit for a boy—just like putting the right number in a certain square of Sudoku. And then, when one puzzle was completed, he was ready to tackle the next one. Throughout the past six years of working with Jeff, I have come to realize the value of the knowledge that he possesses. I have seen the high regard his colleagues across the country have for Jeff, as Jeff is, without a doubt, one of the best university counsellors throughout both independent and public schools, in Canada. Jeff, at heart, is a teacher. And it was in this role, that he was able to have the greatest impact on me. He was
Crescent School
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Since 1913