Alumni Spotlight:
Guy Bourassa
In this edition of Insights, we are proud to highlight one of our very own: Guy Bourassa.
Mr. Bourassa has been serving the Enfield Public Schools since 1977, but the school system has been quite familiar to him for practically his entire life; he has been fortunate
enough to watch the town of Enfield grow from a small community to the town that it is
today. As a former EPS student, what stands out to him as being memorable is the opportunity he was given to grow without restriction and the inspiration he got watching educators who truly loved what they were doing and instilled in him a love for their disciplines.
At Enfield High in particular, there was the Social Studies Lab where they created multimedia, 35 mm slide productions long before PowerPoint and iMovie were developed. This
is where he discovered he could create, learn, and teach – and is what first inspired him to go into education.
Guy remembers several former EPS educators as some of the most influential teachers in his life, each having a
unique role in the person we see today. Dennis Corso was very instrumental in encouraging him to apply to and
attend college. Dr. Frank Taylor played a large role in the Social Studies Lab where Guy learned a great deal about
photography, videography, scripts, and productions, causing him to develop a love of the social sciences. Frank
Gawle gave him the opportunity to develop a stage presence as a member of the EHS Lamplighter productions, making it easy for him to “stand and deliver” in front of a class. Gerald Cove inspired a love of math when Guy was in
eighth grade; he later became his mentor while working for him as a math teacher at JFK Middle School. The encouragement Mr. Bourassa had every step along the way caused him to want to pursue a college education, making
him the first college graduate in his family, and made him want to come back home to teach.
Mr. Bourassa started off at JFK when it was a junior high school. He taught social studies for Grades 7, 8, and 9 before moving on to Kosciuszko Junior High, where he taught Grade 7 social studies. After that, Mr. Bourassa went
back to JFK, but as a math teacher. It was while he was teaching in that position that he earned the esteemed title
of Enfield Teacher of the Year in 1993. The following year, Guy began working at another school in the district –
Hazardville Memorial – teaching Grade 6. After receiving his Master’s degree in Education Technology, he ended his
teaching career back at JFK where he first started, this time in the role of computer teacher, which allowed him to
combine his love of computers with his love for teaching. In 1996, he became the Computer Technology Department Chair, and in 2000, he was awarded the Apple Distinguished Educator Award, which is awarded to only one
teacher per state each year. As a department chair, he was given the charge of expanding the K- 12 computer technology program, giving him the chance to develop a curriculum, install a system-wide computer network, and design
new computer labs at all of the elementary and middle schools. In 2012, Guy left teaching, but was not yet ready to
leave the field of education, so he took the position of Chief Information Officer for the school district.
As for where Mr. Bourassa’s career has taken him, he says he enjoys his current position because the variety of projects he is involved in leads to an exciting, fast-paced day. He credits the administration for the value placed on the
role of technology and appreciates being part of a collaborative team. Guy Bourassa was – and continues to be – an
accomplished and dedicated educator, but he counts his family as his greatest accomplishment. His wife Jill, also an
educator, works at Stowe Early Learning Center, and he has two daughters, Stefanie and Kathleen, who both reside
in Enfield. Guy is very proud and honored to be a product and part of the Enfield Public Schools, and we thank him
for his many years of service.
Contact Information
Central Office
27 Shaker Road
Enfield, Connecticut
Tel: (860) 253-6500
Fax: (860) 253-6510