Steve Kulpa taking a selfie within his classroom here at DRRHS

Mr. Kulpa is one of the amazing staff members here at Dighton-Rehoboth, known for his outstanding support. However, there are many things about Mr. Kulpa that many people overlook. Mr. Kulpa has two children (one being a nurse and one graduating from UMass-Amherst soon) and a Bluetick Coonhound/American Staffordshire dog mix named Reesie, who is 18 months old. For degrees, Mr. Kulpa has a B.S. in marketing from Quinnipiac College, a special education teacher certification from Felician College, and a master’s in special education from Concordia University.

When asked about what he likes to do during his free time in an interview, Mr. Kulpa stated, “I like to refurbish furniture and work outside on my yard. I love to watch the Yankees and I enjoy watching every Red Sox game, hoping they lose. I enjoy hiking, fishing, the beach, and being outside as much as possible.” In that same interview, when asked about his biggest role model, he stated, “I am not a big believer in role models. I molded my own path, but there are people that I admire. I admire Derek Jeter; I like how he carries himself.” When asked about what he would do if he wasn’t a teacher, he stated that he had already achieved his dream of being a professional baseball player.

After moving to Massachusetts from New Jersey, Mr. Kulpa joined the D.R. community since he was offered a job here. While there have been some challenges in his career at D.R., staff and administration were always there, even when it came to working with some challenging students. His favorite part about D.R. is being able to come to school every day and being able to work with the students. He feels that communication is a very important skill to have when working with high schoolers. He wants to help kids enjoy school, making high school a great experience and not one you regret. His favorite part about being a teacher is watching students graduate that other people thought had no chance, feeling that these are his most heartwarming moments in his career.

Mr. Kulpa is an extremely positive person, and he acts very playful with the students. He knows that students are more than just students. He focuses on their social/emotional well-being and overall mental health, and he feels that his playful demeanor helps students want to come to school, stating, “My personality is showing students school can be fun while learning and developing friendships.” He feels that he can relate to his students well. He relates to them by learning who they are as people and not just who they appear to be. He feels that building a healthy relationship with his students is the key to being able to relate to them. When asked to describe himself in one word, he stated, “One word: animated, but there are a thousand other adjectives.” ”Mr. Kulpa is such a wonderful and positive addition to D.R., so make sure to say hello if you see him in the halls; you can’t miss him!