Meet Klamath Union's New Principal

Fall 2024 Edition

By Elsie Baumann

Following the retirement of Klamath Union’s former principal, Tony Swan, Rod Heyen was chosen as our principal after careful consideration. Heyen has shown himself as a valuable addition to our community and has already established strong leadership in the school environment by stressing the importance of educational expectations. With integrity, diligence, and sportsmanship he will carry on the KU tradition.

Heyen completed his early education in a small town located in Central Nebraska. He later went on to attend the University of Nebraska at Kearney where he received majors in physics and mathematics and got his teaching degree. As he says, “I, like a lot of the kids in Klamath Falls, had never been outside the county.” He saw teaching as a ticket to experience the world and share his knowledge. Heyen began his teaching career in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where he was additionally offered the position of head basketball coach soon thereafter. As a basketball enthusiast, Heyen found the coaching opportunity strengthened both his classroom confidence and his management capability. He taught there for 14 years before moving to a small school in Warrington, Oregon, after being persuaded by a good friend. Heyen found that the extra education courses he had been taking in Arizona qualified him to be a principal in Oregon. For 20 years, he served as their principal in Warrington while he and his wife, Margaret, raised their two children.

With his children out of the house, Heyen and his wife decided it was time for a new adventure. The couple wanted a place where Heyen could finish out his teaching career while being beneficial to a community similar to that of his former Nebraskan roots. Heyen spent around two years looking for the right job, stating, “I wanted to go somewhere that would be a good fit and where I could be impactful.” After hearing about the open position at Klamath Union and visiting the school, Heyen felt he had found his place. “I was drawn to it through its strong DECA program, the CTE program, its sports facilities, and the connections I already had in the town”, Heyen states. Coming from a coach’s perspective, he says, “There’s no place like Pel court…I could just visualize the kids in the stands chanting ‘KU’.” Heyen believes that the culture and history of KU are a necessity in appropriately preparing each student for a successful future. “We have such a unique opportunity here”, Heyen states, as he wants to remind students that, “At KU we show up”. Heyen has introduced new electives such as Health Occupations, Psychology, and Creative Writing, and has allowed students to take specialized trade classes at Eagle Ridge. “I want to find out what you like, what your passion is, and give you a boost to go that way”, Heyen states, “I want our kids to have a competitive advantage.” Reflecting on his position, Heyen describes it as, “Truly a blessing for my wife and I… I feel like I’ve won the lottery being here.”