Faculty Tribute: Drew Inzer

I vividly recall the moment I first stepped foot inside Hamill House. As I walked in, a towering, bearded man shook my frail III Form hand so firmly it left a bruise. The common room buzzed with hushed conversations among the other III Formers. Rumors floated around the room: "Have you heard? He used to play in the NFL!" and "I heard he's a legendary grill master." The chatter in the room dropped to silence as Mr. Inzer entered. All heads turned to him, awaiting his words. He stood silent for a moment, stared us down, and uttered two simple sentences that I still remember to this day: "Welcome to Hamill House. Though I may not have had the pleasure of meeting you all yet, I love and care for each and every one of you.”

Beyond his role as a history and economics teacher, and Offensive Line Coach for the School football team, Mr. Inzer has served as an incredible role model for the young men of Hamill through his role of Head of House. His core values of responsibility, accountability, and integrity are something he instills in us every day. His energy is contagious, radiating through the House and bringing us all life, even during the slower days on campus. He strives to make every Hamillite feel a sense of belonging in the House. Most importantly, Mr. Inzer teaches us to be authentically ourselves and not revolve around the thoughts of others. 

I guess I can say this now that he’s leaving—Inzer was a constant rule-breaker, or trailblazer, in Hamill. He wasn’t a strict, by-the-book Head of House, but  he always wanted to do what was best for us. He added four boarding prefects because he wanted to. He would use our feed budgets to buy a lot of food, working the grill for three hours on Saturday nights until he was sure we were all fed. He even did a backflip off the dock on a house trip to School Camp just because he felt like it. Mr. Inzer shows us through his daily actions to self-advocate, take matters into our own hands, and be the people we truly want to be.  

It is tough to envision a Hamill without Mr. Inzer next year. Mr. Inzer’s presence will surely live on in the traditions he's created, the ideals he's taught us, and the long-lasting bonds he’s formed. Thank you, Mr. Inzer. We all love you, and we will miss you.