Mr. Escobar's Farewell Interview

by Emerson Maldonado

Mr. Escobar has experienced much success in his career as an educator and administrator. His presence has caused many students as well as teachers to be inspired and his actions have not gone unnoticed. It’s no wonder recent news of his departure has caused much talk throughout the student body. Before his last goodbye, I got to sit down with him and ask a few questions.

As high school students we have faced many obstacles and Mr. Escobar was once in our shoes I wanted to know what was one of his greatest obstacles in high school and how he overcame it. His response was one that I myself struggle with which is the act of speaking in public. He overcame it throughout his years as an educator by speaking to students until it became one of his strengths and now it’s one his favorite things to do. 

The next question was about the biggest obstacle he faced as a teacher. He referred back to his early years when he was just starting out, he said learning how to teach his students was the biggest challenge he faced.

Orrin Woodward once said successful people don’t have a part-time nor a full-time mindset, but a lifetime mindset and I wanted to know a bit about Mr. Escobar’s mindset. I asked him what his life's philosophy is. He responded with a quote said by Derek Jeter, “ I learned that despite the pace and pressure, one code truly makes this city go, get up each day, put on your uniform, go to work, do your best and don’t make excuses. 

Mr. Escobar’s philosophy is one of consistency and hard work. Rarely taking a day off, Mr. Escobar was always in the building and his choices here at West Hempstead were always for the betterment of the students. I then went on to ask him if there was anyone or anything he turns to for advice or help. He responded by saying that he has been very fortunate to have two outstanding assistant principals which are the people he turns to for help first. He then went on to mention his close relationship with Mr. Mistretta, someone whom he would also seek advice from due to the trust they have developed over the years.

For my last question, I wanted to know if there was anything he wished he could change during his years as the principal. He said that two things come to mind, one was the latenesses to school but to classes especially. The second he said he wished he could change was our generations’ dependence on cell phones. He believes that the constant use of phones has hindered our capacity to communicate with each other face to face. He wants us to have human interactions without technology in between.

Mr. Escobar’s impact in our school will be felt for years to come, on behalf of West Hempstead High School I want to say thank you for your relentless pursuit of excellence in our building. You have been a role model inside and outside the classroom for us students. We wish you the best of luck in the future and want you to know that West Hempstead will always be your home.