Get to know your Principal: Mr. Lopez

By Stella Bock and Owen Kinney

Mr. Lopez has been Poston Buttes’ principal for a long time. His hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed; he has been recongized by the Florence school district as October’s Principal of the Month. The majority of students have had him all 4 years, but do we know Mr. Lopez?

Mr. Lopez was born in Modesto, California. Out of his 8 siblings, he is the middle child. Like everyone, he has hobbies such as exercising, spending time with family and friends, and going to his family's games. Mr. Lopez enjoys working around the house. Whether cleaning or cooking, he always has a sense of accomplishment. He enjoys cooking, especially when it comes to grilling.

When at work, Mr. Lopez shows his dedication. He knows the impact he has on his community and works hard to create the ideal environment. In high school, Mr. Lopez took a career test similar to the one we take on Naviance. He got three results, the first one was chef, but the third choice caught his attention: teaching. College came around, and Mr. Lopez took up teaching as a major. He became a high school teacher and taught for 8 years. While teaching, he found administration interesting and went back to school. He has been an administrator for 15 years.

When Mr. Lopez became the administrator at Poston Butte, his first thoughts were that he needed to get a feel of the culture. He needed to get to know and listen to his team and his teachers. Mr. Lopez knew that this would create a stronger community. Since then, Mr. Lopez has had many impactful moments that show how strong our community is, such as students saying thank you for all the work he has done as a principal and watching his students take the next step toward college. These moments are some of the biggest accomplishments for Mr. Lopez.

To Mr. Lopez, Poston Butte means everything. He has lived here for almost 18 years and has seen all the change and growth this community has experienced. Poston Butte means growing as one, being a family. This is his home and community, and he can’t wait for what’s up ahead. In the future, Mr. Lopez predicts that enrollment will increase due to the growth of the community, and he hopes for more college and work opportunities. One thing he loves is seeing kids come back to their roots, back to San Tan Valley. Most of all, Mr. Lopez sees progress, change, and growth and he is all in for it.