A. Edward Mendoza ’80

Major: Physical education, minor in Spanish

Post-graduate education: Master’s degree in education, Indiana University; master’s degree in school administration, Washington University; graduate, Principal’s Academy, Harvard University

After teaching Spanish at Concord High School (Elkhart, Ind.) for eight years, Mendoza taught two years of junior high school in Tacoma, Wash. Graduate school, fueled by the confidence he carried from his Goshen years, was next, followed by three years as assistant principal in Tacoma. He is now principal of Westfield (Ind.) Middle School.

“I am looking for teachers well-prepared to teach,” said Mendoza, who was named Principal of the Year in Indiana’s fifth district. “Having a liberal arts education is extremely helpful – it gives you a well-rounded perspective on education, and understanding that there is much more to life than just a chosen field.”

Mendoza has been Indiana fifth district Principal of the Year, Hamilton County Citizen of the Year for his work promoting diversity in 2001 and the City of Westfield’s 2000 Ambassador of the Year.

Said Mendoza, “I have a passion for working with underprivileged people, because of my work on SST and also understanding people of a variety of cultures. I am now an advocate for diversity here in Hamilton County.”