Diego Sharon moves from ARMS to ARHS, now a Dean of Students

Diego Sharon, formerly the principal at Amherst Regional Middle School, is a new Dean of Students at ARHS, here with the goal of keeping the high school safe and encouraging a positive school culture.

Sharon is the dean for grades 9 and 11; Mary Custard is the dean for grades 10 and 12.

In his role, Sharon spends his day walking around the building and communicating with students and staff, doing paperwork related to discipline reports in Educator Handbook, and getting to know the lay of the land.

He also is curious about what students are learning. “I feel that if students are used to seeing me around in a friendly setting,” Sharon said, “then when they see me in a setting for discipline, they will feel safer talking to me.” 

Sharon was born in Colombia but came to the U.S. when he was five, moving to California. After high school, Sharon went to UC Irvine to study sociology and writing, but then traveled back to Colombia to teach private English classes and then at the University of the Andes. 

Since he majored in sociology, he is well-educated in the emotional part of teaching. “I like the sociology aspect of my job,” Sharon said. 

Sharon’s mission as an educator is to support all students. “I want people to know that I am committed to supporting all of my students and am always available to troubleshoot,” Sharon said. 

An area of interest for him is social equity, particularly in helping Black, Latino, and low-income students to thrive in a school setting.

When Sharon is not in his office or roaming the halls, he enjoys hiking, painting, and playing music. In some of his time off last year, he was able to spend time doing those things and said it was good for his mental health. 

He appreciates his new job because it also gives him more time. “I appreciate not being in a power position [like principal] and having a focused job, with more time to myself,” he said.  

As Sharon has moved to the high school he hopes to bring his diverse background in education and similar ideas to improve the lives of the children here. He wants to be a leader but not someone that is feared. He already feels as though his coworkers here have affirmed good values. 

“I think there is a leadership crisis in this world,” he said, so seeing adults in positive leadership roles in our school is important to him.