With Vice Principal Mr. Nelson leaving to Weston next year to be the school’s new principal, there’s an administrative position left open. Christine Hinojosa, who was the Dean of Students at Mt. Vernon this year, will be filling that position. While it will be her first year as an official administrator, she has had plenty of experience leading up to the position. Before she was the Dean of Students, Hinojosa was an ASB advisor. She has also taught for seven years in Social Studies, English, and Leadership. Hinojosa enjoys connecting with students, but said, “I felt constrained within the four walls of the classroom.” She was limited to forming relationships only with the students directly in front of her. It was difficult for her to make a significant impact in people’s lives when she could only reach a small audience. As an admin, Hinojosa will have the freedom to connect with more students than she’s been able to in the past, allowing for a greater positive impact in the school. She said she prefers “being out of [her] office, being where everyone is.”

Part of “being where everyone is” means going beyond normal school hours. Between school sports, performances, and various other events, there are plenty of times when students get together outside of the typical school environment. While Hinojosa will try to attend as many events as possible, she indicated some preference to sporting events, especially basketball. She said, “I was a basketball coach for four years and I really enjoy the sport.”

On a more serious note, recent events have put a major focus on safety and a sense of community; administrators are a major contributing factor to these, and Hinojosa is completely onboard. She said, “I think that student safety is absolutely important and I also know that relationships and community matter.” For example, in the aftermath of MP, Hinojosa and her colleagues made sure that everyone was taking care of each other and that nobody would be alone. Hinojosa said, “we asked teachers to connect with students individually.” The situation was handled on a relatively personal level, further increasing the school’s sense of community and encouraging an environment where students felt safe.

Hinojosa will take her years of experience in education to make sure that she is an effective administrator. The school’s administrative team will by no means be any weaker next school year. Hinojosa said, “My goal and my hope for the year is for my family and myself to become members of the Arlington community, and I hope to become an engaged member of AHS.”