The Orestimba High School’s administration will have someone else leading it this school year as alumnus Aaron Souza officially took over as the site’s principal last month.

Souza’s new role comes after he previously served as assistant principal at Orestimba High last school year. He also worked at Sierra Kirk Baucher School in Modesto, Hunt Elementary School and Westside Valley High School.

“We have a very green rookie administration team with a first-year principal, who’s only in my second year of administration,” Souza said. “I’m very invested in doing the best I can to give back to the school in this district.”

Souza, a 2002 Orestimba High graduate, went on to play football at Modesto Junior College and Menlo College. He graduated from Menlo with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with a concentration in history in 2006 and obtained his master’s degree in special education from UMass Global in 2014.

He was also the head coach of Orestimba High’s football program for 15 seasons where he sported a 101-61 career record, which led to 11 postseason appearances, four league titles, four Sac-Joaquin Section semifinal appearances and a section championship game appearance.

Career path into education

While some individuals find their ideal career path in college, Souza knew he wanted a career in the dairy business or education. That is largely due to his parents’ agricultural background and working on a dairy farm.

It also helped him and his two siblings to build a work ethic centered on hard work. Souza attributes his career success to having that trait from a young age.

“We were not raised by a family of educators, but we were raised by a family of working hard,” he said.

His appreciation for agriculture also grew towards football and education, which gave him an ideal plan on what to pursue upon stepping foot at MJC.

“I knew when I was in college that I wanted to be an educator and I wanted to be a head football coach,” Souza said. “That’s what basically drove me through college.”

While life after college involves an extensive job search, Souza’s first opportunity as an instructor came unexpectedly, he said.

As he was working at parents’ dairy farm, Souza received a phone call from Orestimba High’s administration about the opening of an English and History teacher position following a resignation that came 10 days before the start of the 2006-07 school year.

Souza, in response, said he was available for an interview and went to the site the following day, where he was hired as a substitute teacher. He later became a resource specialist at Kirk Baucher from 2007 to 2009.

Afterwards, Souza went to become a special day class teacher at Hunt Elementary, an alternative education instruction at Westside Valley High before coming back to his alma mater in 2016 where he became a study hall teacher and resource specialist.

While Souza took steps towards his career, last year was where he achieved a significant milestone as he was offered the assistant principal role at Orestimba High. That decision in turn led to him stepping as the school’s winningest head coach as it was “time for something new,” he said.

In the lone year as the assistant principal, Souza learned there are multiple components into running a high school. From the various activities on campus to working with multiple staff members, it was far from what he was accustomed to.

“I lived in the world of special education and football, and I realized that was my lane, but I also realized that there [were] 50 other lanes that I needed to learn,” Souza said.

While handling the operations of a school with more than 900 students can seem overwhelming at times, one person that was there to assist Souza was then Principal Lesile Suffecool. Souza said Suffecool understands her colleagues and how to work with one another. He hopes that he can do the same.

Lack of administrative experience draws concerns

In the May 11 Board of Education meeting, Newman-Crows Landing Unified District Board of Trustees voted 3-2 to appoint Souza as Orestimba High’s principal going into the 2026-27 school year, with Trustees Derek Wach and Lyzette Gonzalez as the two dissenting votes.

Both Wach and Gonzalez cited Souza's lack of administrative experience for their decision.

A four-person interview committee was formed and consisted of OHS staff members. During public comment in the May meeting, Orestimba High art teacher Renee M. Stearns, one of the committee members, told the board the panel was looking for someone who understands the school’s culture, the Newman community and wants to remain within NCLUSD. That led the decision on selecting Souza unanimous, Stearns added.

“Although we were aware Mr. Souza was new to administration. We feel his passion for being a Warrior and to stay at Orestimba makes up for his lack of experience,” Stearns said to the board. “We are confident he will grow into a reliable leader that can be counted on to do what’s best for our current students as well as preserve the longevity of Orestimba’s traditions and help create new traditions.”

Souza acknowledged the concerns of hiring someone who does not have as much administrative experience for a position like school principal. However, he said experience is needed to get a job, referencing intern teachers that went on to serve in administrative positions.

“A lack of experience to me is a farce, and you’ve got to earn that experience. You got to earn that trust,” Souza said.

As he transitions more into the next chapter of his career, Souza said he has no plans on leaving the district.

“I’m here for everybody that walks through these doors. Parents, students, alumni, stakeholders, district office personnel, whomever walks in this door, I’m here for them,” he said.