By Jon Johnson
jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com
THATCHER – What happens when you promise students a whipped-cream pie to the face if they outperform expectations in a canned-food drive? Thatcher High School Principal Ryan Conrad found out Tuesday morning, and the answer is a very sticky face.
During a lively school assembly, Conrad took a direct hit from a pie wielded by cheering students after the underclassmen brought in more canned goods than the upperclassmen for the annual Thanksgiving food drive. The haul was so massive that biology teacher and tennis coach Chris Cook also ended up wearing dessert.
“I told them if the lower classmen won, I’d take a pie,” Conrad laughed afterward, wiping whipped cream from his face. “They didn’t just win – they crushed it.”
The pie-in-the-face stunt is classic Conrad: high-energy incentives designed to get students “all in” on everything from academics to community service.
A 1993 Thatcher High alumnus, Conrad taught social studies at the school for four years and served as principal of Pima Junior High for two years before returning to his alma mater as high school principal in May 2020.
One of his signature moves has been expanding the Rider Reward program he created at Pima into the broader “All-In” initiative now running at Thatcher High. The program showers students with rewards – everything from gift cards and free meals at local spots like Kainoa’s Hawaiian Grill and The Eagles’ Roost to branded hoodies – for hitting academic and behavioral benchmarks. Funding and prizes are supported in part by the United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counties.
Tuesday’s assembly featured another round of All-In rewards: every student who scored 21 or higher on the pre-ACT received a Thatcher hoodie. Conrad noted that 21 is the minimum score most colleges require for admission, making the sweatshirt both a fashion statement and a ticket to future opportunities.
The principal also took a moment to celebrate the school’s latest report card from the Arizona Department of Education: an A letter grade, the highest of any high school in Graham County. The announcement drew thunderous applause and chants from the student section.
These kinds of celebrations – pies, hoodies, and all – have become a hallmark of Conrad’s leadership style since he took the helm in 2020.
“Kids respond when they know you’re invested in them and when there’s something fun on the line,” Conrad said.
As the whipped cream melted away and the canned goods headed to local families in need, one thing was clear: at Thatcher High School, being “All-In” is paying off – for the community and for one very good-sport principal.
