New silver and long-time gold: a new name is emblazoned above an unassuming 1100s office. A name, though new to this title, is one familiarly entrenched within the fabric of Leander High School: Devin Eatmon.

After 26 years in teaching, a master’s degree in educational administration, and a dash of chance, LHS’ former Advanced Placement Human Geography and Advanced Placement World History teacher was hired to fill the assistant principal’s position, a position held by Tom Robbins– now the principal of Leander Middle School.

“I’ve wanted to move into this position, but these positions do not come up very often,” Eatmon said. “As with a lot of things, [I was] in the right place at the right time, so I ended up getting the position. It’s not ideal that it was in the middle of the year, but it is what it is. Everybody is being taken care of.”

In the wake of Eatmon’s promotion, instructor Kate Hauenstein has worked with this challenge.

“The challenge [has been] not having [Eatmon] as the other half of the AP World History team,” Hauenstein said. “We have spent the past few years revamping the course to be more accessible…  So it will be a challenge to bring our new teacher on board– but I’m excited to do that as soon as they are hired. I [appreciated] Mr. Eatmon’s kindness– he’s a genuinely nice person and it has been great to work with him.  He’s also a hard worker, and he’s very dedicated to the students of LHS.”

Due to his transfer during the dawn of the new semester, students in his former AP Human Geography classes had to say goodbye.

“Mr. Eatmon [was] a great teacher,” freshman Jinelle Nuevo, a bygone student of Eatmon’s, said. “I felt that I was always learning a lot from his lessons. He was a really fun and interactive person, which made his lessons actually enjoyable. When he announced [to the class] that he would no longer be teaching, I felt really sad, and even started to tear up a little. I really enjoyed having him as a teacher, but then again, I [am] really happy for him as this is a great opportunity.”

Traits of Eatmon’s most appreciated and missed by his past students are his willingness to provide help in an academic setting, as well as his sense of humor.

“What I liked most about Mr. Eatmon was that he… made sure all his students were on track and felt confident with the [work he assigned],” former student and freshman Lanika Zaman said. “Outside of academics, he always knew how to light up the classroom and keep everyone engaged. He made the experience fun for everyone. His transfer was very unexpected. [What] I’ll…miss the most [are his jokes], but otherwise I’m happy for him and his new opportunities.”

Eatmon shares the sentiment of his past students.

“[My students] are glad for me, but they’re also sad that I’m not in the classroom,” Eatmon said. “I understand that– [change] is always hard. But it was an opportunity that… if I didn’t take that I would regret it. I love teaching. I’ve been in education over half of my life… It’s something that I’m passionate about and I now get to serve a larger community in a different way.”

Although Eatmon’s change in job seemingly happened overnight, the road to becoming an assistant principal is paved with dedication. The school district requires a master’s degree in educational administration, along with certification by the state via the Collaborative Academic Testing Service exam.

“I took the test a couple years ago, but never had the opportunity [to take the job],” Eatmon said. “Once you have that, there’s a whole interview process… Generally there are a lot of people who apply for these positions. It’s a long process.”

Although leaving the classroom was not an easy decision, since then, Eatmon has learned to balance the new responsibilities and actions taken by an assistant principal.

“I do a little bit of everything,” Eatmon said. “I try to be an instructional leader– to get in classrooms and see what teachers are doing… I also deal with discipline issues, attendance issues, [talks] with parents and the community. We go to games and sporting events, not just to support the team, but have a presence there as well. It’s a combination of a number of things and I’m trying to learn how to juggle them. But it’s a lot of fun. Though there’s a part of me that misses the classroom, the kids, the teaching, I really love what I’m doing right now. It’s nothing I thought it would be and everything I thought it would be. It’s been good. 

Highly prized by Eatmon for their show of community, LHS’ administrative staff have acted as pillars in his employment as an assistant principal.

“The team here is fantastic– not just the other APs but all of the other administration staff,” Eatmon said. “Everyone has been super helpful. That was also one of the reasons that I wanted to stay at LHS– the community here is awesome. Everybody has got their strengths and helps each other out– it really is a great school. I came to Leander 17 years ago and haven’t left for a reason. I think very highly of [LHS]; I love being a part of [this school]. I’m proud of being a lion.”