Sonia Diaz believes fate brought her to
The new Las Cruces Public Schools superintendent began work this week, though she doesn’t start getting paid until next week. You can tell by the look in her eyes and the tone in her voice that she is excited.
“I’m really hopeful about being here. I believe there’s a purpose for me to be here,” she said. “It certainly wasn’t on my itinerary.”
I met with Diaz briefly Thursday, our appointment sandwiched between her visit to Columbia Elementary to observe its summer school program and another appointment.
Though she doesn’t officially start work until Monday, Diaz is already busy. She arrived in town a week ago and is still looking for a home.
Her first impression of
“There’s something really spiritual and special about this place,” she said.
But on to the schools. Diaz has already decided to make a few changes. For example, she knows she wants to rebuild the wall in her office that Louis Martinez tore down when he was hired as superintendent. She wants to create welcome centers in each school, and have translators available for those who need them.
Diaz is going to wait awhile on bigger changes. She said she needs time to analyze the district’s operations and meet with administrators individually to get to know them.
One of Diaz’s main concerns is the budget. She comes from the East Coast, and finds education in
I think most notable from what others have told me and what I observed in my 30 minutes with Diaz is that she is incredibly well-educated. She is a deep thinker, a good communicator and comes across as warm and welcoming.
At the same time, I sensed humility. I think it comes in part from her belief that she didn’t orchestrate this change in her life, a move from
She said humility is part of an important balance in leadership.
“There are times when you have to be arrogant – when it’s about protecting and defending kids,” Diaz said. “The humility comes in knowing I’m a public servant and I’m here to make kids’ lives better.”