As the famous saying goes, “change is the law of life.” Clark students and teachers alike have seen many changes take place on campus in the last few years. Unlike many schools in our district, the Clark community has seen only a handful of principals on campus.
With changes, come new beginnings. Mr. Mark Rubio is new to Clark as our interim principal while Dr. Landisi is on leave, but he is not new to GUSD. In college, Mr. Rubio worked as a tutor, and developed a passion for working with kids and helping people, which led to his long career in education at GUSD. Mr. Rubio has had a full range of jobs in the district over the past thirty three years, including teaching math and coaching soccer at Hoover High School for the first eighteen years of his career, working as a teacher specialist for Daily High School and the Special Ed department of the District Office, and serving as assistant principal at both Hoover and Glendale High Schools.
Mr. Rubio’s transition at Clark has been a busy one since he is simultaneously working another full-time job as the Coordinator of Athletics and Physical Education, overseeing P.E. and athletic programs for every school in the district. However, Clark has been welcoming, and Mr. Rubio has really felt the support from Clark staff and students during his transition to interim principal. “Everyone has been super welcoming by both inviting me and just making me feel at home, so it’s been pretty easy to come and fill in as principal,” Rubio said.
ASB President Vahag Matevosian is extremely grateful to all of Mr. Rubio’s support during the rapid transition of leadership. It affects ASB tremendously because no school event can take place without admin involvement. “He’s very optimistic, open minded, and kind. Students are not afraid to approach him, despite the fact that he is new to the campus. The few times I’ve already approached him with a stressful situation, he has given me his time and helped me find solutions,” Matevosian said.
Having worked at each high school in the district, Rubio brings great perspective to Clark’s administration. Just a few days after he started at Clark, Rubio hit the ground running with the Freshmen Pancake Breakfast followed by the Senior Barbeque. “Mr. Rubio is really personable and approachable. He was great about jumping in and flipping burgers and just making the event fun for the seniors” Dr. Pruitt said.
It’s only been a few weeks, but it feels like Mr. Rubio has been a part of the Clark family the whole time. “It can’t be easy to jump in and take on such a huge role. Mr. Rubio is doing a great job keeping Clark moving forward, and most importantly it’s clear right from the start that he cares about the staff and students on campus,” Mrs. Tatevosian said.
Mr. Rubio is very excited to work as interim principal at Clark, and his goal at Clark is to support staff and students. “This is a beautiful campus with fantastic staff and students. I’m really excited to be here and see the opportunities available to our students and the amazing things they are achieving,” Rubio said.
