Alumni Spotlights are Q&A's with former Brandeis student-athletes, across a myriad of disciplines, as they reflect on their Brandeis experience and how it has shaped their lives today. Read more spotlight features here.
Name: Steve Grenham ’95
Job Title: Principal, Dale Street School
District: Medfield, MA
A native of Norwood, Massachusetts, Steve Grenham ‘95 was a four-year member of the Brandeis baseball team and served as a captain his senior year. During his career, Steve participated in 2 NCAA regional tournaments and an ECAC tournament. He was an All-UAA conference selection and named to the All-New England team in his senior year.
After graduating from Brandeis in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in American Studies, Steve went on to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Simmons College in 1997 and a Master of Education degree from Endicott College in 2003. He began his career in education as a third-grade teacher in 1997 at the Delaney School in Wrentham, Massachusetts. After 9 years in the classroom, Steve became the principal of the Roderick Elementary School in Wrentham in 2006. In July of 2015, he was named the principal of the Dale Street School in Medfield. Steve and his wife, Kelly have 4 children: Stephen, Timmy, Michael, and Ryan.
Describe your overall experience as a student-athlete. What does it mean to you now/what did it mean to you while you were an undergraduate?
My years at Brandeis were some of the best years of my life. As an undergraduate, having the opportunity to attend such a great university and play college baseball meant everything to me. The support and camaraderie of my teammates made challenging days more positive and great days even better. As I look back at my time at Brandeis, I have so many wonderful memories. Receiving a degree from such a prestigious university, as well as participating in collegiate sports, was a great accomplishment for me. I have always treasured my time as a Brandeis Judge. The time at Brandeis has helped shape who I am and has helped me get to where I am today.
How did your time as a student and student-athlete at Brandeis prepare you for your career and life after college?
My time as a student-athlete greatly prepared me for everyday life, as well as my career in education. Having rigorous academic responsibilities coupled with a demanding baseball schedule allowed me to develop habits that helped me get to where I am now. Everyday skills needed to navigate daily life such as reflection, balance, organization, time-management, focus, work ethic, teamwork (being accountable to others) were all honed during my time at Brandeis. I use all of these skills every single day. I have always subscribed to the theory that sports parallel life: there are good days and there are hard days, there are failures and there are successes, there are victories and there are losses. As a parent and a principal, there are a lot of things that come your way on a daily basis. Using the strategies and principles that were strengthened at Brandeis (a combination of academics and athletics) has prepared me well to handle the great balancing act we call life.
Do you have any advice for current or future Brandeis Student-Athletes?
I would say, enjoy your time at Brandeis and the camaraderie with your teammates. No matter school or sports - set your goals high and do the very best you can to achieve them. I have found in life that what you put into something is usually what you get out of it.
What originally attracted you to Brandeis as a student-athlete?
What originally attracted me to Brandeis was their first-class academics along with their top-notch baseball program. My high school English teacher and basketball coach, Dave Powell, and I often spoke about life after high school. He would routinely tell me that a Brandeis education would open up doors in the future because it was such a great university. Once I visited Brandeis and spoke with Coach Pete Varney - I knew that Brandeis would offer me academic excellence, as well as a top-level baseball program.
Do you still keep in touch with any of your former Brandeis teammates?
Yes, I keep in touch with a lot of my teammates. The friendships that were established in the early ’90s are still strong today. JL Lessard ‘95, Timmy Graham ‘95, Chris Schneider ‘95, Steve DeBoer ‘96, and Jay Moreau ‘96 all remain very close friends 25 years later. I value their friendship and very much enjoy every time we get to talk, play golf, go to dinner, or even just text.
What personal or professional accomplishment are you most proud of since you graduated?
I am most proud of my family. My beautiful wife of 21 years and I have 4 amazing boys. Stephen is 18, a freshman at Worcester State University. Timmy is 16, a junior at Norwood High School. Our twins, Michael and Ryan are 13 and are in 7th grade. I am so proud of Kelly and the boys. They support me in everything I do. All of them inspire me to be the very best I can be. I am truly blessed to have them in my life. I would not be who I am without them. I am so excited to see what the future holds for them.
This interview was lightly edited for clarity.