Chad Henderson: From multisport athlete to English teacher at Manteca High

By NORA HYSTAD 
The Tower 

At Manteca High School, English teacher Chad Henderson is a familiar face on campus. Not just because he's spent the past five years teaching from his 30 wing classroom, but because he once walked these same halls as a student.  

Henderson's journey from high school athlete to educator is inspiring. 

Many may have expected him to continue down the path of sports. Instead, he found his passion in writing and teaching, a change that now inspires his students. 

Before he became an English teacher, Henderson was an athlete. For three years, he was on the Manteca High soccer team, and a four-year letterwinner in track and cross country. He was also part of the basketball team for one year.  

Like many student athletes, he found it hard to balance academics and the demands of sport. 

“Sports take a lot out of you,” Henderson reflects. “It can be challenging to do both sports and academics very well.” 

Despite the hard balance of being a student and an athlete, Henderson learned a lot in the athletic arena. For instance, he credits track and field with impacting his demeanor and work ethic. 

However, nothing offered an escape quite like writing. Henderson admits that he was not always the most social with students, but he found peace in writing. 

Whether through journaling, essays, or creative storytelling, Henderson realized that writing was more than just an academic requirement. Writing was a way to understand himself and the world around him. 

“I really love expression through writing,” he said. “I don’t think I was always the most engaged person, but I felt like I was able to express myself through words.” 

This realization would later lead him to pursue a career in education, where he could help students find their own voices.  

After graduating from college, Henderson found his way back to Manteca High, not as an athlete, but as an English teacher. He has now spent five years in the classroom, guiding students through literature, writing, and creativity.  

Though his identity as an athlete is still a part of him, his true passion lies in helping students with their education. 

His experience as a former student gives him a different perspective. He remembers the teachers who influenced him, including former English and Journalism teacher Mike McCullough, who recently retired, and was a strong supporter of student athletes. Another key mentor was John Gibson, one of his former coaches.  

They played a role in shaping his journey as a student at Manteca High, and now, Henderson hopes to have the same impact on his own students. 

One of the most valuable lessons Henderson learned came not from sports or academics, but from a simple piece of advice his father gave him: “You have to choose what you’re going to be good at.” 

As a high school student, Henderson wanted to be great at everything sports, academics, and after-school activities. But as he matured, he realized that true success came from focusing on what truly matters to you and investing in it fully. 

“Just being good at things doesn’t make you a better person,” he said. “It doesn’t make people love you more, and it does not necessarily make the world better. The people who make the biggest differences are those who choose something and truly invest in it.”