THOMASVILLE – With more than 25 years of experience in education, Ephraim Gorham called his retirement from Thomasville Middle School “bittersweet.”

“I will certainly miss being in this office and this building for quite some time,” said Gorham, assistant principal of Thomasville Middle. “I can’t put a number on when this will fade or if it will even fade because it has been a part of my total being.”

Gorham, a Reidsville native, will retire Wednesday to pursue other goals and interests. Thomasville City Schools has not named a replacement for Gorham.

“Along with my educational background, I’ve also had a business background,” he said. “My brother and I are partners of a business that we own in Reidsville and we’ve owned it for 30 years. I plan to go back and nurture that business and certainly pursue other business interests as well. It comes bittersweet because I truly enjoy working with the children.”

Gorham got his start in education in Detroit as a classroom teacher before being hired by Guilford County Schools, where he worked for 17 years. In Guilford County, he was a dropout prevention specialist, principal at Brightwood Elementary for 12 years and also served as assistant principal at Eastern Guilford High. He has worked at Thomasville Middle School for the last four years as an assistant principal.

“I guess my proudest moment is that I was able to develop relationships with children,” Gorham said as he reflected on his career.

“I think that’s important. You can certainly receive respect from them if you give that respect, but they have to know you care. I think that’s something that basically comes natural for me.”

Though he is retiring for another endeavour, Gorham doesn’t plan on completely leaving education.

“I don’t think I will go too far,” he said. “My wife has just been appointed principal at Wiley Elementary in Guilford County. I’m sure she will have me volunteering and being a part of that.”

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