Patrick O’Donnell has watched the faces of his students for 25 years, waiting for that “aha!” moment when they finally grasped the concept he was teaching, and now he is taking his experience in making that happen one step further.

As of November, he is the new superintendent of the Bowie School District.

His is a familiar face, often seen under the bill of a baseball cap. The hat of responsibility changes frequently — sometimes in one day — because different people know him now or in the past knew him as a science or math teacher, Boy Scout leader, a Democratic precinct committeeman, a coach, a husband, a father and a department head.

Pat O’Donnell is ready to take education from the classroom to a new level with his job as Bowie superintendent. Photo by Aimee Staten

Veronica Ogas knows him as one of her favorite teachers who is now her daughter’s teacher. About 15 years ago, Veronica was one of the students most people had written off as a high school dropout. As a pregnant senior, she said she was dismissed by many as one who would never finish her schooling.

Mr. O’Donnell wasn’t one of those people.

“He was one the ones who said, ‘You can do it,’ “ she said. He told her at that juncture to make her own way and never let anyone else discourage her from doing what she needed to do. “He inspired me,” she said.

When her daughter started high school, she experienced freshmen nerves like most students, and Veronica told her to seek out O’Donnell. He encouraged the daughter to expand her horizons by becoming involved in school activities.

Destiny, a 4.0 grade-point-average student, is now the vice president of the student council. She is also involved in the Knowledge Bowl. Her mother attributes some of that confidence and accomplishment to a teacher who encouraged both of them to reach for something higher.

A teacher who taught math side by side with O’Donnell believes the Bowie District is fortunate to be getting O’Donnell.

“He has an insatiable need to get things done right,” said Doug Vaughn, Career Ladder coordinator and educator with the Safford School District. Vaughn also described O’Don-nell as honest, hard-working and knowledgeable about the education system.

O’Donnell has taught many subjects throughout his years as an educator, but of all of them, the fact that he teaches math is the greatest irony.

“My mother still laughs about her son — the math teacher,” O’Donnell said with a quick grin. “Math was not my thing.”

His early struggles with the subject may have helped him empathize and work harder to help students who wrestle with their understanding of the subject.

Now, however, he is reaching beyond the boundaries of one classroom or one athletic field and learning to view education in a more global way. Part of his training for the job included earning a master’s degree in 2007 and certification for principal and superintendent (the latter is pending). He also developed informational material for the M&O override that was recently passed by the Safford voters and researched and wrote a classified employee wage comparison study.

“I have an opportunity now through staff to influence the learning of all students, not just the ones in my classroom,” he said.

At Bowie, a district of about 89 students, he has been directed by the School Board to develop an understanding of the school curriculum and create a plan to help students transition smoothly from one grade to the other. He will also develop a staff evaluation program.