As a child of immigrants, I have always taken great pride in being an American of Mexican descent. My earliest memories include long family trips driving six hours south to visit relatives in Ojinaga, Chihuahua, the Mexican border town across from Presidio, TX. Spanish was my first language, and at home, my parents spoke almost exclusively Spanish. At school, as one of the older children, I was placed in the English as a Second Language program at Sundown Elementary School, in the district where I serve as the middle school principal. My father worked as a manual laborer in the oilfield, while my mother cared for six children at home.
Growing up in rural West Texas, I carried the weight of both cultural pride and personal struggles. My upbringing in a family with low-socioeconomic status included barriers, many circumstantial, but some self-inflicted. I was placed on juvenile probation twice and completed more than 400 hours of community service. On top of that, I became a teen parent. Despite these challenges, my family instilled in me values that shaped my future: work ethic, resilience, discipline, and hope.
A Strong Foundation
A strong Christian upbringing provided a foundation, and my grandfather’s story only helps to add to the values I hold near and dear. My grandfather was a Spanish-speaking Baptist preacher in Sundown. While he ministered faithfully, he was also paid by the English-speaking Baptist church in town to clean their church, and he worked full-time as a maintenance worker for our school district, Sundown ISD. His life was an example of humility and service, balancing spiritual leadership with hard physical labor to provide for his family and his community.
Today, I serve as the principal of the very school my grandfather once cleaned and maintained. Walking the same halls he cared for reminds me daily that leadership begins with service, and that the work of one generation lays the foundation for the next.
My father, too, gave me wisdom that has guided my path. “You won’t always be the best at what you do, but you can always be the hardest worker in the room,” he told me. After high school, I married young, became a father, and worked in the oilfield to provide for my family while pursuing a college degree. Every summer I labored to pay for my education, driven by my father’s constant reminder to plan for the next step and the step after with his saying “¿Qué sigue, Miguel?” (What’s next?). For me, it became more than a question. It became a mindset: Stay three or four steps ahead, plan for the future, and never lose sight of the vision.
What Came Next
Over time, that mindset carried me from being a math teacher and coach to serving as an assistant principal, and currently as a principal. Along the way, I have experienced moments that filled me with pride not only for myself, but for the community I represent.
I vividly remember one such moment when I was with a colleague who watched in confusion as a Hispanic grandmotherly woman I had never met before hugged me and said, “We are so proud of you, mijo.” He asked, “Do you know her?” I laughed and said, “Not a clue.” I had to explain that mijo literally translates to “my son,” but in our culture, it carries so much more weight. It is an expression of deep pride, connection, and belonging, an acknowledgment that my success is not mine alone, but theirs too. That’s the essence of Hispanic culture: When one of us succeeds, the entire community celebrates as if it were their own victory.
That is why Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins today, holds so much meaning for me. It is a time to honor the sacrifices, traditions, and stories that shape who we are. But for our community, it is more than a month-long celebration; it is a way of life. Our pride is year-round. My journey, from a struggling student and teen parent to being named the 2025 Texas Middle School Principal of the Year and a National Principal of the Year Finalist, is not just mine. It is my family’s, my culture’s, and my community’s. It is proof that hard work, faith, and resilience can break cycles and open doors.
Each day I step into Sundown Middle School, I am reminded that the work I do stands on the foundation built by my grandfather, Samuel Villarreal, who swept those same floors and cut the green lawn with quiet dignity. My story is his story, and together they reflect the heart of what it means to celebrate Hispanic heritage.
5 Comments
Great article!
Love this!!
I am proud of you Miguel. Working with you for twelve years was a daily privilege. You showed up with a demeanor that you were there for the students from day one. I am honored to have been able to work with you, to know your family, especially your children. I love them as my own. Continue to be the person that will go the extra step for the students.
Thanks for sharing your story, Miguel!
Love it!