Introducing Our New Principal, Mr. Gomez

Before Mr. Gomez came to work at Fitz Intermediate, he was the principal at Alamitos Intermediate. While Mr. Gomez enjoyed that school and what it had to offer, he is happy to be at Fitz Language Academy and excited to help students in a better way.  

Mr. Gomez was raised in McFarland, California. According to Mr. Gomez, living in McFarland was quite the adventure. Mr. Gomez describes the town as a very small farming community. While he lived there, he would work a lot to help his family. He went to work at a young age because he understood that he had to be responsible and high school and college weren’t just going to be handed to him–he would have to work hard. 

Mr. Gomez always planned to go to college, but what motivated him even more was his mother. He knew that he didn’t want to grow up working in the fields. His mother didn’t get to go to school because it was thought that since she was a woman, her job would be to raise her family, so going to college wasn't necessary. The fact that his mother didn’t have the opportunity to go to school motivated him to get an education and make his mother proud. 

His math teacher also helped him see the importance of an education. In his math teacher, Mr. Gomez was able to have someone help him when he needed help. His math teacher was always there for Mr. Gomez, whether it was school or home related. Both his mother and his math teacher deeply influenced him to get an education because in McFarland a good education was a privilege, and not every kid got a chance to educate themselves. 

Today, Mr. Gomez's overall goal is to help students. Currently, Mr. Gomez is working to make Fitz Language Academy a safe and calm environment for students to come and get a good education, hang out with friends, and socialize. According to Mr. Gomez, the most rewarding aspect of being a principal is seeing students he has helped become wonderful students and get good grades.

Students and staff have taken a huge liking and interest in Mr. Gomez. Alyssa Santamaria said, “Mr. Gomez is encouraging because he reminds us every day to ‘Make it a great day or not, the choice is yours.’” When Mr. Gomez reminds us of this every morning, he hopes to remind students and staff that no matter what happens, we always have the power to change the outcome of our day, whether it ends on a positive note or not. Mrs. Chin, who teaches Spanish and English, said, "Mr. Gomez is an awesome principal. He cares about his students at Fitz. He cares about the teachers, and he wants to help the students. Also, he has a lot of ties."