Lake Stevens High School has been proudly run by Principal Eric Cahan for five years. He is respected and loved by many students and staff members and is a part of many good memories of those in the high school. But all good things must come to an end, and Cahan’s time at LSHS will soon be over. Principal Cahan will be leaving LSHS to be the principal at Snohomish High School.

“[I’m going to miss] all the students and the staff and all the Viking pride! It’s real, you know? I absolutely love it. My send off [at Friday’s assembly] was just the sweetest thing I’ve ever been apart of,” said Principal Cahan.

Although he has spent five long years here, Principal Cahan had been to other schools before he stepped into his position at LSHS.

“I was Vice Principal at Snohomish [High School], then I was the Principal at Granite Falls [High School] so I was familiar with [Lake Stevens] and the program at LSHS and that it was successful. I thought it would be a good fit for me and it was. I loved it,” said Principal Cahan.

Principal Cahan was known for his interactions with the students. Although being the principal comes with a very busy schedule, he always made time for students. Even those who didn’t know him very well recognized the time he put into seeing the students.

“I like that he always says hi and good morning to the students, and he really interacts with the students,” said sophomore Ciara Parkhurst.

But the students were not the only ones impacted by Principal Cahan. Robert Davis -who teaches photography, electronics and manufacturing- thinks very highly of Principal Cahan.

“I’ve known him for five years. He’s been our principal for five years and I’ve gotten to know him and enjoy working for him,” said Davis

Over the five years Principal Cahan and Davis have worked together, Davis grew quite fond of him and developed great respect for him.

“What I enjoy most and what I’ll miss the most is his leadership, and the way he projects his own personal image, and he just makes everyone around him feel comfortable,” said Davis.

Principal Cahan went beyond the basic duties of a principal, to leave a mark on the staff and student body.

“He’s a person who genuinely shows his concern and that he really cares. I’ll miss that very much,” said Davis.

In the eyes of the students he epitomized the Viking spirit in everything he did.

“Mr. Cahan was a powerful leader in our school who acted to spread school spirit and a positive attitude in everything he did. It’s not often that you find a principal who cares that much about the school and the students, and he’s not a principal the school will forget,” said sophomore Jordyn Jackson.

Being at LSHS over the past few years has taught Principal Cahan a lot about the community, but most importantly it taught him a lot about himself.

“[I learned] that I am better because of the people around me. I have great relationships with the staff, and great relationships with the kids and the community members and that is just so incredibly important to me,” said Principal Cahan.

As for his future career, Principal Cahan hasn’t put too much planning into it other than his next step.

“I’m going to Snohomish [High School] and I’ll be the principal there. My kids all go to Snohomish schools, so I’d love to be a part of their education. After that I’ll probably get a district job somewhere…I’ll just see what happens. I try not to worry about it too much, you know? I try just to enjoy where I’m at and live in the moment,” said Principal Cahan.

As for LSHS, the staff and students have expressed that they will miss Principal Cahan very much, but the feeling is mutual. His love for LSHS brought Principal Cahan to tears at the year’s last assembly. He will be saying a hard goodbye to the staff and students at the end of this school year.

“I thank you all for the love, and I love you right back,” Principal Cahan said .