Ms. Jesica Cuellar recently joined Westwood as an assistant principal in the Courage office. She comes with many years of experience as a teacher and assistant principal at other schools. Prior to coming here, Ms. Cuellar mainly worked with elementary schoolers, but wanted a change. She always liked high school students and the high school feel so she knew that working here would be a good fit. 

Originally from Odessa, Texas, Ms. Cuellar received her bachelor’s and master’s degree from The University of Texas at the Permian Basin. Soon after, Ms. Cuellar moved to Liberty Hill and taught at Georgetown ISD.

“I taught three years before becoming an assistant principal,” Ms. Cuellar said. “One summer, I was principal at both high schools and all of the middle schools [in Georgetown ISD].”

After moving to Round Rock, Ms. Cuellar was excited to see a position opening near her, since a shorter commute to work would be more convenient for her.

“When I saw this position posted I just threw my hat in there to see if it was something that would workout for me and also for Westwood,” Ms. Cuellar said. 

Ms. Cuellar feels that her previous jobs were mostly similar to her current job. After working here for a couple weeks, Ms. Cuellar can see the differences in administering high schoolers rather than elementary schoolers. 

“I didn’t want to be at an elementary school campus again,” Ms. Cuellar said. “I wanted to make a difference and impact [for students going into the real world] rather than thinking of it so abstractly for elementary students.”

Ms. Cuellar is looking forward to her first year as a Warrior. She is eager to learn at her new job as an assistant principal. Before working here, Ms. Cuellar had heard about the school’s success. Now, she is excited to see how the school works and functions.

“I’m really excited to see what Westwood is all about, what it’s like to be the top one percent in the nation,” Ms. Cuellar said. “Being able to build relationships with the students and teachers is something that I’m looking forward to this school year. I’m here to support the teachers and I’m also here for all the students and their parents to make them feel safe.”