When Cory Holliday and his wife decided to move away from Springfield, Ohio, they had two criteria: a day's drive to visit family in Ohio and Michigan, and less snow. After exploring several cities in the South and Midwest, Charlotte, NC became their top choice. Once they settled here, Cory began substitute teaching for CMS and, after a few assignments at Olympic High School, realized he wanted to teach at Olympic full-time.
Before teaching, Mr. Holliday worked as a community college administrator in various leadership roles. His passion for teaching, however, began as a student-athlete, inspired by the positive influence of his coaches and teachers. He admits he did not enjoy school but loved basketball, and thanks to his high school mentors, he came to understand the importance of education. He earned a basketball scholarship to a junior college, where he was later inducted into their Hall of Fame, and then transferred to Cumberland College in Kentucky, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
Basketball taught Mr. Holliday the value of persistence, a lesson he now shares with his students. “There might be 17 shots to score a goal in a basketball game, and the 17th might be the game-winning shot. I see my students in the same way—it's important to give them more than one shot at getting ‘it’ right.”
Mr. Holliday teaches Digital Marketing and Sports Marketing 1 & 2 and serves as Co-Chair of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) department. In this role, he supports CTE teachers and acts as a liaison between the teachers and school administration.
With support from an OHS Foundation professional development grant to obtain his NC Teacher’s License, Mr. Holliday has brought his skills and leadership, honed on and off the basketball court, to his students and colleagues at Olympic. The OHS Foundation remains committed to supporting educators like Mr. Holliday in their pursuit of professional growth, ensuring they continue to inspire and positively impact Olympic High School students.