A sheriff is nothing without his or her trusty deputy, and, while one deputy is good, two is always better. This is why the transition of Dr. Jennifer Mezzina from Spanish teacher to assistant principal is so important.

Because of former assistant principal Richard Orso’s retirement, Mezzina will try to make this transition as smoothly as possible. However, until she takes over on July 1st, Dr. Robert Hyman has taken over as interim assistant principal.

While Mezzina will have to wait a couple months until she officially takes over, she is excited for the new opportunity. Mezzina says she “goes down to the office and assists whenever she can.” Similarly, just like when she became a teacher, Mezzina remains “incredibly passionate about education.”

However, for now, her responsibility is still as a teacher. According to Mezzina, she is able to juggle all of these responsibilities because she “is very good at prioritizing.” Her six years interning in the office and her recent EdD in K12 education should also help her transition be smooth.

Still, according to Mezzina, her EdD will help her for more than just the transition into her new position. Mezzina says her dissertation about cyberbullying laws across the country has helped her learn “a great deal about New Jersey’s anti-bullying laws.”

Additionally, Mezzina will not have to rush into the position as Hyman has provided a much-need stopgap. As a former principal and teacher at a middle school, Hyman has a background in history, language arts, and drama.

Despite being in his position for a short time, Hyman already appreciates “all the action going on in the school.” He looks forward to bringing his “presence and positivity” to improve the school.

Already, Hyman has followed through with this goal. In order to make Mezzina’s shift smooth, Hyman says he actively tries to “share as much as possible in preparation for her transition.”