As our school year comes to an end, GEMS is starting to think ahead to next year and the changes that need to be made—one of which includes welcoming a new Vice Principal. Mr. Roman will take on the role of Vice Principal starting in the 2025–2026 school year.

Mr. Roman’s goal as Vice Principal is to help middle schoolers prepare for high school. He explains why he applied for the position:

“I applied to be the Assistant Principal at GEMS because I saw it as a great opportunity to work with a younger group of students and help them prepare for high school. I know that there is a great group of staff members at GEMS who are doing amazing things, and I want to help and be a part of everything they’re doing to make GEMS the special place that it is.”

Mr. Roman brings a wealth of experience from the WPUSD district. He has taught at Lincoln High School and Twelve Bridges High School, covering a wide range of subjects including World History, U.S. History, Sports Leadership, Sports History, 6th Grade P.E., Honors Geography, State Requirements/Health, and Leadership. He also served as Activities Director.
One of his favorite professional experiences, he shared, was:

“At TB, the coolest thing was working as the Activities Director and helping students create traditions for the high school. My greatest memories came from watching students create their homecoming halls, working with the amazing staff, our first season as a wrestling team, and helping coach an athlete to the state tournament.”

Mr. Roman is excited to return to working with middle school students. He recalls having fun in his past middle school experiences and is also looking forward to continuing one of his favorite traditions—taking funny school pictures.

He also reflected on the hiring process:

“The hiring process is always nerve-racking for me. I like to do my best and spend a lot of time preparing. I looked at the GEMS website and various documents that helped me understand what it’s like to be part of the GEMS community. I then created some practice interview questions I thought I might be asked and rehearsed my responses based on my experience as a VP at Mira Loma and my values.”

Mr. Roman is truly looking forward to the upcoming school year, meeting new students, and making a positive impact. His goal is to help students feel prepared for high school while building a strong, supportive, and positive school community.