SA3 welcomes new principal

Diana Rojas was part of the small staff that started at Sharyland Advanced Academic Academy when the school opened in 2014. She was a counselor then. But almost 10 years later, she returns as the principal, ready to take on the responsibility of campus leader. 

“I am definitely very excited and humbled for this opportunity,” Rojas said. “I’m beyond excited to come back and lead this campus with the vision to make sure our students get an opportunity to earn an associate degree while in high school.” 

Although Rojas is a first-time principal, she is no stranger to a leadership role. Her career at Sharyland ISD spans 12 years, where she has also been a dean of instruction and an assistant principal. In her 21 years as an educator, the 44-year-old has experience working in the classroom and at the elementary and secondary levels. 

She is exceedingly passionate about serving others, Rojas said. Her love for education started at a young age. It began when her family moved to McAllen from Mexico, where her teachers were a guide during those transitional years. 

“When we moved to the United States and I had to learn the language, I was very fortunate to have teachers that were very supportive and understood my background. They not only taught me English but spoke to me in my language, and I think that was key,” Rojas said. “They nurtured me, they cared for me. It must have been in my fourth or fifth grade year that I knew what I wanted to do — it was just to give back like my teacher’s had done.” 

The new principal especially looks forward to bonding with her students and staff. She thrives on relationships, she said. But her long-term goal is to increase the number of students that graduate with their associate degrees, which has declined in the last few years. 

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, associate degree earners experienced a 7.6% drop in the 2021-2022 academic year. Additionally, undergraduate credential completions fell for the first time in a decade. 

Rojas said the decrease might have been because students were not in the classroom, but she is determined to get the Sharyland academy back on track. 

“After the pandemic, lots of things changed in education,” the SA3 principal said. “So it’s just getting back to the basics, forming relationships with students and having students present in the classroom, I think that will definitely help.” 

Communication is key for Rojas. She plans to lead with an open-door policy and make herself available to the community to increase parental involvement and build trust. And for the students, the goal is to continue providing incentives that motivate them to be present in the classroom.

“All students are struggling with that,” the educator said. “And I think that goes back to communicating — parent communication, the importance of students being in school, students feeling welcome, students feeling safe at school. Just overall students wanting to come to school. And I think that will come into play with our instructional opportunities we offer here.”

Outside of education, Rojas enjoys being with her family. The mother of three has been married for 21 years. And although it can be difficult, she said she does her best to prioritize family time once she leaves work. 

But with the first day of school on Aug. 21, the SA3 principal has been busy preparing for the new year.

“I’m humbled to be part of the Cobra family again, to be able to come back,” Rojas said. “I’m excited to get to know our students, our parents, our community. This campus has been open for 10 years, so I’m looking forward to building on the traditions that have been established here.”