Kuslis Brings an Array of Experiences to Nonnewaug
Kuslis’ love for agriculture is rooted in his familial history on his Watertown farm, just miles from his new home here at NHS.
“My family farm was a dairy farm from 1937 to 2007; we farmed every day and woke up very early in the morning to milk about 70 cows a day,” Kuslis said.
The hard work that’s taught through farming turned out to be a formative experience, as this later had an impact through his entire life. He learned to flourish in laborious and demanding world of agriculture.
“I hated it at the time,” he said. “My dad would wake me up at 6 a.m. every morning, but it taught me some really good life lessons.”
As the Kuslis family began their own careers, time for dairy cows was limited. Their dairy cows were later sold, and now what remains is still a close-knit family farm that boards horses, sells hay, and has beef cows.
“Something to just keep the farm in the family,” Kuslis said.
Kuslis grew up and went on to earn a degree from all four Connecticut state universities.
“I joke that I should be a poster child for the Connecticut state schools because I have a degree from each one,” said Kuslis.
He started with a bachelor’s in health and physical education at Eastern Connecticut State University. Kuslis then transitioned into a master’s in special education at Central Connecticut State University prior to attaining a full-time job at Platt Tech. Kuslis then earned his sixth-year degree in educational leadership at Southern Connecticut State University. Kuslis’ education culminated in his doctorate at Western Connecticut State University during his military deployment in 2021.
“I’ve been in school for a long time,” Kuslis said. “It’s nice to not go to school in the afternoon. Especially with a 6-year-old and 4-year-old at home.”
Kuslis then started his adventurous teaching career at Watertown High School, then moved on to Goodwin Tech in New Britain. He followed his tenure with another teaching position at Platt Tech in Milford, which was Kuslis’ first long-term job.
That wasn’t the only thing that ended up being long-term, as he met his future wife at Platt Tech.
Naturally from his past, his constant search of improvement landed him the dean of students position at Ridgefield High School. Finally, he shifted to Bullard-Havens Tech in Bridgeport as an assistant principal for the previous three years.
When Kuslis started the principal position at Nonnewaug in July, he did not hesitate to use his connections with the National Guard to help students.
“He has really helped the school out, including the ag department by using his connections to get a truck for mechanics [CDL training],” sophomore Deme Jones said about Kuslis. “[He] even helped out on Senior Day by supplying the bounce houses, and [he] does a very good job of keeping up [with all of our campus activities].”
Kuslis played sports throughout his high school and college career; he even played against Nonnewaug at one point as a soccer player at Watertown High School. That sportsmanship spirit never left as he went on to coach 33 consecutive athletic seasons, spanning fall, winter, and spring sports.
If there’s athletic competition involved, Kuslis has coached it, ranging from soccer, cross country, indoor track, basketball, outdoor track, and softball.
“I really loved coaching,” said Kuslis. “It was the most fun time, and you get to see students in a different way.”
Longtime coach Dave Green appreciates Kuslis’ involvement throughout the school since Day 1.
“Dr. Kuslis is athletic and always on the move,” said Green, an NHS wellness instructor and wrestling coach.
Beyond just serving his students, Kuslis’ background in military service is something that’s had a formative impact on his character.
“I originally enlisted in 2003 but never went because I was dating a girl that I thought was the one,” said Kuslis. “Then [I] made a dumb decision and decided not to go.”
When Kuslis turned 29, he decided to enlist into the National Guard, and since Kuslis was still in school, basic training in the summer of 2013 was the first step — which is also the first step for people just getting out of high school.
Discovering his love for service was easy enough as it was a deep-rooted dream of his, as he was inspired when 9/11 occurred during his junior year of high school.
His then-girlfriend (his future wife) and he enlisted at the same time. They coincidentally ended up in the same unit of basic training. This led into being placed in the same platoon, which was led by Kuslis after he completed officer training.
“I kind of joke, I say it was the last time I was in charge,” Kuslis said.
Kuslis was deployed in March 2021, starting off in the African country of Somalia for four months. He led a specialty platoon and was also placed with special forces to train local nationals. Djibouti was the next stop for Kuslis’ platoon for a few more months, and the last destination was Kenya before coming back home and returning to his teaching career.
Just a few months into his tenure as Nonnewaug’s principal, Kuslis is making his mark on the school. One of the first changes he and his fellow administrators made was to the school’s cellphone policy, which staff members have praised for its positive effects on school climate.
“It’s not prison-like, but it’s businesslike and productive,” said Deb Flaherty, the library media specialist.
Flaherty also praised Kuslis’ on-campus involvement for further establishing a strong reputation among people at Nonnewaug.
“He’s visible,” Flaherty said. “You see him around, you hear him over the loudspeaker, he comes to sporting events, and he’s supportive of the staff and students. So far, so good.”
Becoming Nonnewaug’s principal puts Kuslis’ career on a steady pace after rising the ranks for years. Who knows what Kuslis has next in line for Nonnewaug’s future, but he feels prepared for what’s to come.
“I’m really excited to be here,” Kuslis said. “All the different education and all the different experiences really got me ready for this.”
