After the death of Joseph DuBoyce, an administator and assistant principal here for six years, the community came together to celebrate his life, as well as regather and prepare for the new year. Although the death was shocking, the faculty has attempted to create a calm environment to help students proceed smoothly through the year. After the loss occurred, Assistant Principal Joseph Mamana volunteered to lead the senior class as a replacement for DuBoyce.
Mamana created an open environment for the students in order to ease students into the year. “After Mr. DuBoyce’s passing, I thought that it was probably good for me to pick up the senior class. I’ve been here for a couple years. I knew a lot of the juniors last year because they were asking for parking spaces. Also, Mr. DuBoyce would meet with juniors next door, and I would talk to them. The biggest thing now is to ensure that they know that their administrator is here for them. Getting out there and picking up where Mr. DuBoyce left off is very important,” Mamana said.
Seniors were impacted because DuBoyce was their administrator since ninth grade. Even though the loss was difficult, students look forward to their new administrator. “Mr. DuBoyce’s passing was very sudden. He helped me out at the end of junior year when I was having problems with a classmate. He cared about his students and their well-beings. I think Mr. Mamana did a great job with the class of 2017 and he will do the same for us. It’s a really respectable thing he’s doing,” senior Hannah Bruckheim said.
Mamana has been an administrator in the school for three years and finds the job rewarding. “An administrator is a counselor and coach. A coach tells you what you have to do, and when you’re struggling, pump you up. One of the biggest qualities about being a good administrator is that you have to be a good listener. The other thing is that you need to be flexible,” Mamana said.
Senior Julia Bergel believes that class administrators have a great influence on students’ high school time. “The administrators are there to help us figure out our schedules, classes, applications, and to be our own cheerleader for our class,” Bergel said.
Bruckheim agrees and views the class administrators as prominent figures. She finds that a proper class administrator is essential in a student’s life. “I believe the administrator, especially since we are seniors, should be a resource for students as we navigate our final year at Wootton, whether it’s helping us with college and career planning or giving advice on classes and clubs,” Bruckheim said.
Mamana looks forward to guiding and influencing his students through their senior year. “I try to emphasize that your senior year should be a fun year because the next thing you know we are in graduation rehearsal. That’s my biggest goal. I want seniors to find that balance. There’s a great culture here where students can enjoy themselves,” Mamana said.
Nitya Kumar
Commons Editor
