School News: 2010

Sam Govea
St. Michael’s High School Names New Principal
To begin at St. Michael’s High School on July 1, 2010.

St. Michael’s High School has named a new principal, Sam Govea. Mr. Govea currently serves as principal at Cathedral High School, a Lasallian institution in El Paso, TX. Throughout his professional career, he has accumulated more than 25 years experience in Lasallian education.

“We are delighted that Mr. Govea is joining us from another Lasallian Catholic school in our district,” said St. Mike’s board chairman, John R. Fox. “He brings a depth of experience in administration that will undoubtedly advance our institution academically and spiritually.”

Mr. Govea earned a BS in education from the College of Santa Fe in 1984 and then began teaching U.S. history and coaching varsity basketball at Cathedral High School. He went on to serve as dean of students and then vice principal of the school. He earned his master’s in education from CSF in 1999, at the Dona Ana campus, the same year that he was appointed principal of Cathedral. An El Paso native, Govea graduated from Cathedral High School in 1980.

As principal over the last decade, Mr. Govea has managed a multi-million-dollar budget for Cathedral; implemented a program wherein juniors and seniors can take college-level classes that also fulfill high-school credit; actively recruited a diverse array of teachers, including retired public school teachers looking for a more enriching atmosphere and professionals in specific areas of instruction, such as judges for classes in government and certified public accountants for economics. He also designed methods to more fully integrate the Lasallian Tradition into the classroom environment and implemented educational seminars for faculty and parents.

“I am looking forward to joining the St. Michael’s community, to working in a school with a rich Lasallian Tradition, outstanding academic reputation, and a devotion to community service,” Mr. Govea said. “I also look forward to returning to a city I have always loved and admired.”

Mr. Govea will relieve current principal Bill Armijo of his administrative duties and allow him to return fulltime to the classroom, where he has continued to teach mathematics throughout his temporary administrative appointment. Mr. Armijo is a 1984 graduate of St. Michael’s; he has taught at the school since 1995 and served as principal once before, in 2004–2007.