For the 2025-2026 school year, Mr. Ricardo Martinez will be joining the Vaquero Nation as the early college high school (ECHS) assistant principal at San Diego High School (SDHS). In an interview, Mr. Martinez exclaimed he is looking forward to getting to know the students at SDHS who have been making great strides in academics, athletics, and fine arts.
“I'm looking forward to it!,” Mr. Martinez said, “and being part of the San Diego community. I'm really excited.”
Mr. Martinez has experience in various aspects of the education field. As an undergraduate at Texas A&M University at Kingsville (TAMUK), Mr. Martinez got his start in education as a school bus driver for Alice Independent School District.
Once he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Education) from TAMUK, Martinez became a certified teacher at Calallen High School (CHS) where he taught business, graphic design, and game programming/design. Mr. Martinez would later earn his master’s degree in Educational Administration.
Aside from working as a teacher, Mr. Martinez has experience in athletics as an assistant coach for CHS varsity tennis and as the assistant principal at Calallen East Elementary. Now that he has moved past his work with “the littles” as he calls them, Mr. Martinez is excited to be a helping hand to any and all SDHS students who need assistance regarding anything college and/or CTE related.
Being someone who has lots of experience in the education field, Mr. Martinez recognizes that students need someone to guide them throughout their high school careers. As the ECHS assistant principal, he emphasizes to all students that he has an open-door policy.
Mr. Martinez has made it clear that he prioritizes practices that ensure the staff at SDHS does as much as they can to benefit students regarding their plans for the future.
“Whether it has to do with ECHS or whether it has to do with a discipline issue, attendance, anything like that,” Martinez said, “I'm able to help or at least give direction [to whoever needs it].”
Mr. Martinez is currently attending Texas A&M Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) and studying to get his doctoral degree in educational leadership. He believes that the 2025-2026 school year will be a “learning curve” for him and the incoming freshmen, and he is excited to learn alongside them and any of our new students that come to SDHS.
By Jiliana-Mae Perez, student journalist
Jiliana-Mae Perez is a junior at San Diego High School participating in the Summer Media Camp.