Hello Eagles! For those of you who have not already had the chance to meet the new assistant principal while he meanders around campus, I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Kevin Drake and the pleasure of learning about him while he becomes a fellow Eagle.

I was impressed to learn that previous to Enochs, Mr. Drake was a High School Chemistry and AP Environmental Science teacher for eight years at Pacheco High School in Los Banos. In a quest to further his career path and embark on a new journey, referred to as Campus Administration, Mr. Drake chose to come to Enochs to further impact the student lives.

Although Mr. Drake has committed his life to our generation’s future and positively impacting the world using education as his vessel, it was great to learn he is an athletics junkie! Mr. Drake loves to watch and play sports, from basketball to softball and soccer. Mr. Drake even coaches his son’s baseball and soccer teams. Mr. Drake is a foodie and enjoys eating new and interesting cuisine, and he also loves traveling with his wife and family and prefers to be outdoors hiking and fishing.

Today’s educational environment is challenging for all, to say the least. Making the move from a classroom educator to administrator seems like it would be a transition where only the strong survive, when I asked Mr. Drake what he felt the greatest obstacle he may face this year, Mr. Drake admitted politics, California mandates, and what seems to be the daily changing of policies as his greatest challenge but one he is facing with positivity and optimism.

Some Q and A in a rapid-fire style fashion, I asked Mr. Drake the following:

Me: Does pineapple belong on pizza?

Mr. Drake: “NO!!! Savory pizza only. Keep the sweet stuff for desserts! However, I love pineapple by itself, just doesn’t belong on pizza!”

Me: Winter or summer?

Mr. Drake: “Fall and Spring! I don’t like it too hot or too cold. Fall and spring are perfect to me.”

Me: Favorite sports teams?

Mr. Drake: “San Francisco 49ers and San Francisco Giants, Golden State Warriors, San Jose Sharks, and I root for Portugal in soccer. I’m not Portuguese, but my friend is, and he got me into soccer when we were young.”

Me: What’s your favorite music genre?

Mr. Drake: “ I love R&B and Soul music! I also enjoy some solid hip-hop and rap music if the lyrics are thoughtful, and the beat is solid. To be honest, I enjoy all types of music, except super heavy metal/screamo music.”

Wow, Mr. Drake may be an administrator but he is as our generation would say “valid” and you all need to meet him!       

As I wrapped up my interview, I asked Mr. Drake this final question. If this was your last year in education prior to retirement; what would you want your legacy to be? How would you want to be remembered?

“I would want to be remembered as a fair, compassionate, and kind Principal that they could trust and rely on to help them with anything they needed. I want to be known as the guy people enjoyed being around – not feared – because I am a sociable person that loves to meet new people and get to know new personalities.”

Well, I am not sure if we will be here if he eventually becomes a principal, but I wish him all the luck in the world and know that future classes will be fortunate to have him in administration.