Mr. Man Phan, assistant principal, stands in the cafeteria, dapping students up and making sure they’re wearing an ID. In his first year at Legacy, he strives to build relationships with students by being a positive role model.
“I want to grow as an AP. I want to grow in ways that I can serve the staff, the students, and the families of Legacy,” Mr. Phan said. “And however I can serve–that’s where I want to grow–in knowledge and in high school.”
Mr. Phan serves as the instructional leader for teachers in the math department. He provides resources to teachers to ensure proper instruction takes place in the classroom. He also works to serve students and manage discipline.
“I chose the role because I wanted to impact more students, not just the ones on my roster inside the classroom,” Mr. Phan said.
Coming from Brooks Wester Middle School, Mr. Phan adjusts to the larger student population. The total population of Wester last year was around 630 students. Now, Mr. Phan serves almost 550 students just in his alpha group (Go-Lh). He looks forward to meeting people in all grades, not just the two in middle school.
“I have time to invest and get to know them and build a relationship and just look at their successes,” Mr. Phan said. “I have more opportunity here at high school because there’s four years that I get to spend with them.”
Mr. Phan’s goal for his time at Legacy is to encourage students to graduate and not give up. He meets with students who are struggling and makes sure they find help to continue their education.
“I want to make sure I can have as many kids walk through that graduation stage as possible. That’s why I want to build that relationship with the kids, serve their needs, whatever it is that is holding them back. Whatever the obstacle may be, I want to clear that obstacle and get them to graduate. That’s my ultimate goal,” Phan said.
Mr. Phan’s influence extends beyond students. Ms. Stephanie Monajami, Academic Associate Principal, got to know Mr. Phan in a teacher/assistant principal capacity at Wester and they are now friends and colleagues.
“Here at Legacy, now that he’s an AP, I see myself as a mentor for him. He says that he would love to eventually have the job that I serve as Academic Principal, and I want to help him reach that goal,” Ms. Monajami said.
She admires his love for the job and students. Ms. Monajami believes he is an integral part of the team.
“Mr. Phan brings a wealth of knowledge in many areas, but especially math,” Ms. Monajami said. “He has a huge heart for kids, even those that are often difficult to build relationships with. He sees the value in having fun and working hard.”
As this is Mr. Phan’s first year at Legacy, he looks forward to meeting new people and seeing what he can accomplish.
“This brings me joy, to be able to connect and build relationships with students and see their potential and I just can’t wait for the end of the year to see how they grow and progress,” Phan said.
