Assistant Principal Amanda Chavez joined the staff of Santa Fe High in June of 2023, which was 20 years after she graduated from Santa Fe High School.

Ms Chavez said she loves working at the high school she attended, explaining that she is “incredibly honored” to serve the school that once served her.

“The kids are my favorite part,” she said about her job. She especially loves how much she learns from kids, not just at school but also at home from her son Grae and her daughter Lena. “They’re my best friends,” she said.

Ms. Chavez knew the direction she wanted to go when she became a teacher’s aide in a medically fragile class during her senior year of high school. Eventually it became her goal to become a special education teacher.

She worked hard to get here though. Ms. Chavez studied at UNM and Grand Canyon University, in Arizona. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Special Education, Kinder-12th grade; a bachelor’s in General Education, Kinder-8th grade, with a minor in mathematics; and a master’s in Educational Administration.

Outside of work, Ms. Chavez enjoys running, seeing movies, and camping. She is very fond of the outdoors and loves every second she spends in it.