By Jack Voight, Staff Writer

A familiar face has been spotted around First Flight after a short break. Now, alumnus Josh Holland walks the halls not as a student, but as a member of the custodial staff.

Holland patrols the halls in the late afternoon and early evening, and if you’ve stuck around after school, you can spot him on his favorite machine.

“I like the floor machine,” Holland said. “First I sweep the stairs, than I dust mop, than after I dust mop, I use the floor machine to wash the floors.”

When Holland was a senior, he had experience helping the custodial staff, which helped him transition
into his new job.

“He used to help out in the cafeteria, to sweep. He knew myself and most of the custodians,” head custodian Louis Rotolo said.

Holland was well known to a number of students and teachers, so having him return was a popular move.

“It was nice seeing him in school again. He’s a good kid working hard, making some money.”teacher Joe Tyson said.

Tyson has several fond memories of him, and notes that Holland has several different hobbies.

“We would always go fishing on our field trips, and it was always fun to see Josh and his friends catch some fish. He was always excited whenever he caught one,” Tyson said.

Holland also attends the Nags Head Baptist Church every Sunday. His religious beliefs are one of the reasons he sang in the talent show with Tyson, performing “Your Love Never Fails” by Chris Quilala and Jesus Culture.

“We decided to pick a song that we both knew and we practiced for about a month before the talent show,” Tyson said. “We got it all right and on the same page and just got out there and had some fun.”

Holland has shown how much he enjoys music by taking his passion to the next level, as he is now the lead singer for local band The Shredders. They were formed in 2016 and have performed at events from the Dare2Care OBX Shred Fest to Tim Tebow’s Special Needs Prom.

“We sing some Elvis songs,” Holland said. “We’re doing ‘Stand by Me’ as well.”

For Tyson, it’s fun to see someone who was an enjoyable part of his class now enjoying his life after high school in full swing.

“He was always in a good mood, super happy,” Tyson said. “He was a super nice student, was always very pleasant and an absolute delight to teach.”

Sophomore Jack Voight can be reached at [email protected].