Jason Shuhilo.
“Honestly, I never thought I’d be working here and I love it.”
Education was not Jason Shuhilo’s first field of choice, but the Sto-Rox graduate (Class of ‘93) is now the Media Assistant at Grassy Creek Elementary School in Indianapolis, Indiana. He’s a member of a Sto-Rox family whose mother (Sophie, Upper Elementary Secretary) and sister Kristy (5th Grade Teacher) both work in the district.
“I’m proud that my sister is still teaching there. My mom, I don’t know, I think they’re going to have to chase her out of there,” he laughed.
Jason’s path started at Foster Elementary, where a daycare and an AIU Family Center are now located. The family has stayed local, and a piece of his heart remains in ‘The Rocks.’
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“My family still lives on West 11th Street, and when I come home to visit, we always stay there and take a walk and see how the neighborhood has changed.”
When Jason reached middle school, his mom started her long association with the district. She substituted as a secretary there and then shifted responsibilities.
“When she started working in the administrative office and I got to see her every day, it was pretty cool,” he said.
Around the same time, Jason homed in on one of his true passions: music. He began to drum as part of the Sto-Rox music program.
“I played from 7th grade all the way until I was a senior,” he said. “I got to have great and really meaningful relationships through the band. I loved getting to play football games, I loved getting to see my friends. It was great to see my family be in the stands.”
Through the tutelage of people like the late band director Ron DePascal and the late Dave Deeks, Jason fostered a love of music that carried over into his first year of college, at the University of Pittsburgh. However, the adjustment was a little tough.
“My problem was, I thought, ‘You have to go to class, not just band?” he reminisced. “I had some really good times, there are a lot of people I keep in touch with through the Pitt drumline.”
Jason Shuhilo, during his Sto-Rox High School days.
While he moved to Community College of Allegheny County, Jason wasn’t finished with music. He was committed to carrying on the legacy of Dave, who was like an older brother to him and many others.
“After I marched at Pitt I came back and volunteered with the band and I got to help (Dave’s) nephews play.”
Eventually Jason moved into the workforce and a series of different jobs: the former Ted’s BP Service in Kennedy Township, Gateway Computers and Pier 1 imports.
(Kristy’s) the one who got me the job. Working with her was really funny, there were some times, I didn’t know how to do something, she would just - especially on a cash register - she would just yell out, ‘Press void!’ That’s like our inside joke for everything, ‘Press void.’
That was followed by stints at Select Comfort Beds, a Pennsylvania Fine Wine & Spirits store and Highmark Life and Casualty.
“Boy did I learn a lot on how to deal with people over the phone,” he said, referring to the insurance industry. “That job was really rough.”
Around that time, Jason got married and moved west, to Omaha, Nebraska. He picked up another insurance job with Mutual of Omaha. But when his family expanded and the workforce beckoned for his wife, he made a choice that he’ll never regret.
“I was a stay-at-home-dad for 12 years. That time was just so precious, I will never get that time back with my kids,” he said. “I learned a lot: Time management, cooking, laundry – I’m like the laundry master.”
Then came a move from Nebraska to Indiana - Indianapolis, to be exact - and a little ‘location luck.’
“Right across the street from our neighborhood is an elementary school called Grassy Creek Elementary,’ he explained. “I became the PTA dad, the volunteer dad, I would always drop them off, I had talked to all the teachers, I got a great report with the principal.”
As his children became more self-sufficient, a return to the workforce loomed. Maybe he would work in retail, possibly a restaurant. But Jason was unsure. Until, that is, he learned about an opening for a Media Assistant. He put in an application - not thinking he would get the job - interviewed, and administrators offered him the job on the spot.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I was shocked and overwhelmed.”
He quickly learned the job is about much more than checking out books.
“Little did I realize that I would be doing lunch duty, hall duty, car arrival line,” he explained. “I’m teaching kids how to read, I’m teaching them their letters and sounds.
However, he relishes every day he spends in his school.
“Working in education, there is never a boring day.”
Jason now spends his weekends at marching band competitions featuring his 14-year-old daughter/trumpet player, Cadence, named for keeping the beat. His son - 12-year-old Cole, named after a character in ‘Mr. Holland’s Opus,’ sings, including in the Indianapolis Children’s Choir. He also hasn’t forgotten his roots - musical or otherwise.
“I still have my Sto-Rox Drumline jacket, I always wear my Sto-Rox shirts around town. I’m very proud of the school district, I’m very proud of where I came from.”
As for his advice for current Sto-Rox students?
“Don’t get frustrated and don’t settle, he said. “I love where I’m at right here, but something else can spark my interest and I can go in a totally different direction. That’s what is so cool about life itself.”
His closing thought truly encapsulated his journey.
“If you have a wide variety of interests it can take you anywhere.”