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MPI welcomes Grace Cruz

Mid-Pacific Institute is proud to announce that Grace Cruz has assumed the newly created position of assistant high school principal.

“Mid-Pacific’s diversity, strength of mission, and academic rigor drew me here,” she said. “I feel blessed to be a part of this community and am looking forward to the 2008-2009 school year.”

Grace comes to MPI from the American School of Mexico, Mexico City, where she served as assistant head of the middle school, as well as dean of students and International Baccalaureate Program (IB) middle years program coordinator. Grace's background includes ten years of high school teaching experience, and she has also served as diversity coordinator. Among her experiences and talents are backgrounds in the International Baccalaureate Program (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), faculty development, curriculum development, diversity education and student services.

Originally from San Francisco, Grace spent most of her adult life in New York. While at NYU, she discovered teaching via community service work at a the Grand Street Settlement House. Settlement Houses were created by charitable institutions in the late 19th century to help immigrants transition to American life; today, they serve as community centers, providing after school programs, classes and gathering spaces. She tutored students grades 7-12 during her junior year, and decided to go into education after that experience. It remains one of the best decisions she ever made, she said.

“Please join me in welcoming Grace Cruz to the MPI ‘ohana,” said High School Principal Rich Schaffer. “We are pleased that Grace will be joining the MPI community this school year.”

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