This January, World Languages Department instructor Kevin García Cruz stepped in as the Interim Sage Center Director in place of Christopher Dennis. He is super excited to take on this position to further help the Sage Hill community grow. 

“I get to see what the Sage Center is all about and how the various projects such as the Sage Center Days, Service Learning, Speaker Series, Spring at Sage, SHIP, among others, contribute to the students’ Sage Hill experience beyond the classroom,” Cruz said. “It has been an enriching experience because I interact with other students I would have never come across unless they were in one of my Spanish courses.”

With this new role, Mr. García Cruz wants to continue programming as usual and make this transition as smooth as possible.  

“Right now, my main goal is to ensure that all the programming and activities the Sage Center envisioned for the 2020-2021 academic year get completed successfully. We will soon be hiring a full-time Sage Center Director who will bring some exciting changes to the Sage Center with the hopes of continuing to provide students learning opportunities beyond the classroom,” Cruz said.

Mr. García Cruz had to step away from teaching in the middle of the academic year in order to fulfill his responsibilities as Sage Center Director.

“I miss teaching in general. To me, teaching is such a rewarding career and something that I passionately enjoy doing,” Cruz said. Some of my fondest memories at Sage have taken place in the classroom, interacting, conversing, and teaching Spanish, but most importantly, learning from my students how to be a better teacher and person every day.”

Many of Mr. García Cruz’s students miss him a lot after only having him for half of the school year. 

“Mr. Cruz always lit up the room with his humor and kindness, and he also never hesitated in joining our class conversations, making them a lot more lively and enjoyable,” sophomore Aryana Shamlou said. 

However, Mr. García Cruz is planning to teach Spanish classes again during the 2021-2022 academic year as well as being the SHIP Coordinator! In the meantime, the community is lucky to have him organize Sage Center activities that teach and benefit all Sage Hill students.