Zion Wayside welcoming new principal

August 14, 2020

By David Nordby

The Brillion News

WAYSIDE – Zion Lutheran School in Wayside has a new principal.

David Gosa, who grew up in Kewaskum, will serve the school in the sixth principal job of his career.

“My wife and I, we’ve been called to serve in Minnesota, Iowa, Colorado and now, by the grace of God, back here in the Wisconsin area,” Gosa said.

Gosa’s wife, Keri, now teaches at Pilgrim Lutheran School in Green Bay. They have two daughters, Reagan, 12, and Ellie, 8. Both of their parents are in Kewaskum.

“We kind of got to the point where our kids were getting a little older and we wanted be closer to family. My parents aren’t getting any younger, my in-laws aren’t getting any younger, so we thought it would be great to live back by family, but that was all by the grace of God that happened,” Gosa said. “You start to evaluate the importance of family. I had a chance to spread my wings and go to different jobs … Just to come back to family is pretty awesome.”

Gosa will be 44 soon and feels the time is right for his family to be back in Wisconsin. He has been in the Lutheran ministry for almost 20 years as a principal and teacher. His previous principal positions in Rantoul, Minnesota, Iowa and Colorado have prepared him for Zion.

“Basically, what I do is I spend a lot of time with the staff, getting to know them, appreciating what they do. Zion Wayside is such a rich history, such a rich tradition. The biggest thing is to just kind of see how you fit in and where you can help out,” Gosa said.

He says he will be observant of how things are done, and mindful of the history.

“Coming in and knowing there’s a lot of great history here. The staff is beyond amazing. They’re wonderful people, just being able to spend time with them,” Gosa said. “It’s really just a matter of being humbled and listening and being patient and seeing how you can fit in with the staff and help them out.”

As of now, the school plans for direct instruction five days a week when the 2020-21 school year opens.

“We’re just really leaning on God for guidance, making sure every decision is a prayerful decision,” said. “I’m very blessed to have a wonderful school board.”

He hopes his experience also helps him navigate any challenges for this school year.

A full version of this story is available in the Aug. 13, 2020 edition of The Brillion News.