Las Cruces Public Schools congratulates Oñate High School Principal, Jim Schapekahm, for his many outstanding achievements as he was honored as the 2020 Principal of the Year for New Mexico, awarded by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student’s potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student.
“Mr. Schapekahm always finds ways to meet the needs of his students and staff,” said Karen Trujillo, Superintendent for Las Cruces Public Schools. “He is the embodiment of servant leadership. It has been a challenging year, but Mr. Schapekahm has kept the Oñate community unified and that just shows that the Knight family is strong.”
Principal Schapekahm has been with Las Cruces Public Schools since 2004. He started his career with the district as an athletic trainer, working his way up to becoming assistant principal at Oñate High School. It was there he stayed until he was named the principal of Oñate High School in 2015. Principal Schapekahm says he is most inspired by the unity of his students and how they always find a way to persevere.
“I preached over the years that we’re trying to create a big, extended family,” Schapekahm said. “Nobody is excluded, we’re all part of a big family and we don’t judge one another, we all belong.”
Henry Natewa, a graduate from the Class of 2020 at Onate, said Principal Schapekahm always had a way of reaching students. “I think Principal Schapkahm is an honest, nice, conscientious person,” Natewa said. He cares about his students, checks up on them when in need and opens up to their ideas.”
The 2019-2020 school year was filled with many challenges, including a ransomware attack on the district’s technology and the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the abrupt closure of school buildings, cancelation of all spring activities, sports and school events. For these reasons, Principal Schapekahm dubbed this years’ graduating seniors, the Historic Class of 2020.
During the closure of all school buildings, Principal Schapekahm reached out to the Oñate family on a regular basis, using the school’s social media page to provide updates and to see how students were doing. Staff at Oñate personally delivered senior yard signs to every 2020 graduate. Although graduation ceremonies were postponed, seniors participated in a senior drive-thru celebration, giving Principal Schapekahm the opportunity to congratulate them individually.
“It felt bittersweet,” said Natewa. “I still felt like I had more to do during my senior year. I made do with what I had, put on my cap and gown, and was happy to finally have that moment.”
At the end of the school year, Principal Schapekahm wrote the names of all 354 graduating seniors on a blank wall at the school as a special tribute to the Class of 2020. He says the piece will remain at the school as a reminder to all future of generations of the sacrifices the seniors of the Class of 2020 had to make and endure during a global pandemic.