The Utah Association of Secondary School Principals (UASSP), whose mission is to recognize, promote, and enhance the leadership of Utah’s secondary school administrators, has selected Utah’s high school and middle level school principals of the year for 2024. The three winners were notified and presented with their awards by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson at the UASSP Mid-Winter Conference held last week.
The 2024 secondary school principals of the year are:
Principal Roger Arbabi of Park City High School. Principal Arbabi has been making an impact on education for over 30 years. He has over 17 years of experience as a science teacher, and 14 years as an administrator. Principal Arbabi began his administrative career in Texas before moving to Colombia to become an administrator at the Columbus School in Medellin. He is now in his sixth year with Park City High School. Principal Arbabi has focused extensively on helping LatinX students overcome learning barriers, and prides himself on creating an inclusive environment where all students can be successful.
Principal Brian Stevenson of Crimson Cliffs Middle School. Principal Stevenson has an impressive 28 years of experience as an educator in Utah. For 17 of those years, he has worked as a middle school principal, eagerly accepting the challenges of working with the unique needs of eighth and ninth grade students. Brian’s impact extends beyond individual schools, as he has had the opportunity to open two new middle schools during his career. He was at Desert Hills Middle School for 11 years, before coming to Crimson Cliffs Middle School six years ago. Both schools achieved national recognition as Solution Tree Model Professional Learning Community (PLC) Schools.
Assistant Principal Melody Apezteguia of American Fork High School. Assistant Principal Apezteguia is currently in her 31st year as a professional educator. This is her seventh year as Assistant Principal at American Fork High School. Assistant Principal Apezteguia was also the 2016 Utah Teacher of the Year, and the 2013 recipient of the George Shell Award for teaching excellence in mathematics. She has worked as a mentor-teacher for over 15 years, assisting teachers with content understanding, best teaching practices, and classroom management. She has also worked as a Professional Learning Community coach with curriculum teams for four years, providing professional development, instructional support, and leadership training for teams and team leaders.
Each of these principals will be presenting at the UASSP Summer Conference in June and honored at a future Utah State Board of Education board meeting. Congratulations to these exemplary principals.
