A former Excelsior Springs student who once couldn’t wait to leave his hometown recently returned with a much different purpose — encouraging today’s students to believe in where their own paths could take them.

Charles Whitham, a 1989 graduate of Excelsior Springs West High School, now teaches English and writes in Japan. He returned to the school as a published author to share his journey with students, answer questions and leave signed copies of his books in the library.

The visit was arranged by Principal Dr. Laura Hartman and Librarian Jessica Evert.

Although the building had changed considerably since his time there, Whitham described being back inside his former school as “surreal.”

“I wasn’t sure what I expected, but I had almost expected to feel a bit inferior, having been a former student,” stated Whitham. “It was completely the opposite. The principal was warm and inviting and all the teachers were as well.”

Before returning to the school, Whitham told The Standard what he hoped …