Chenango Stories: A hero in the classroom, and on the battlefield

Editor’s Note: People in the Chenango community perform extraordinary feats under extraordinary circumstances every day. Oftentimes they go unnoticed or unappreciated; this series will put the spotlight on those people whose compelling stories you might not otherwise hear.

By Jill Osterhout

Sun Staff Writer

Bruce Rounds grew up literally all over the country. Being the son of a Navy serviceman, he was born in Hawaii but relocated several times over a total of 14 years throughout his early childhood. The family lived in Rhode Island, New Mexico, Maryland, California, New York, Virginia and more.

When Bruce’s father retired, the family moved to Copenhagen, N.Y. in Lewis County. After graduating high school, Rounds joined the Army and served for a year before attending West Point, the United States Military Academy, for a year. Rounds says being part of the military is a family tradition.

“The service has always been a major thing in my life,” said Rounds.

He went onto the State University of New York at Oswego and received a double bachelor’s degree in history and political science. Rounds completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees within six years and decided he wanted to teach. Starting in Oswego schools, he served as a substitute teacher for six months. He decided teaching was right for him and moved south to work for the Sherburne-Earlville district, where he has been teaching now for 20 years.

When he started at Sherburne, Bruce not only got a job he enjoys, he also got a wife. Cassandra also works for the district as a high school English teacher and they now have been married for 18 years. Together raise their two daughters, Lexi, 14, and Katie, 8.

Throughout his teaching careers, Rounds has remained in the service and the military is an inspirational part of who he is. In 1989, Rounds joined the Army National Guard and spent 12 years in the Utica division. During this time he was called upon twice to help people in need: during the ice storm in Plattsburgh and when a tornado hit Syracuse.