Building relationships makes job rewarding

Growing up, Gabriel Guerra, now principal at W.W. Samuell High School, had expected to be the third generation to work in the family contracting business, but life had other plans for him. 

When his father encouraged him to go to college, Guerra, a graduate of W.T. White High School, could not foresee that it would one day lead him to a career in education, a profession to which his mother, a Dallas ISD teacher, had devoted her life.

“I saw the profound impact my mother had,” he said. “She had worked in education all her life, primarily in high school, and I witnessed the difference she made. Since I also had a deep love for history, I decided to put that passion to use.” 

After graduating with a degree in history from The University of Texas at Dallas, Guerra started teaching social studies and coaching at Samuell for nine years before joining the Teaching Trust Program at Southern Methodist University to become an assistant principal. He then transferred to Seagoville High School, where he served as assistant principal and piloted the first P-TECH Early College program in Texas. Over the next five years he steered three cohorts of first-generation students as they earned both their high school diplomas and their associate degree in applied science. 

“One of my favorite memories at Seagoville was building the P-TECH program. It was mapping it out, constructing it, and then watching that first group grow,” Guerra said.

In 2021, seeking to experience the rhythm of East Coast life, Guerra and his family moved to Springfield, Mass., where he worked as an eight-grade assistant principal at a charter school. Although his primary experience was in secondary education, Guerra enjoyed preparing eighth graders for the challenges of high school. Yet, his heart remained in Dallas.

“After having worked in Massachusetts, I was eager to return to Dallas. I missed Dallas. There’s a lot of things that the district does to support students, and there are a lot of programs that are unique to Dallas ISD. I missed that,” he said. 

Upon returning, Guerra initially inquired about assistant principal positions within the district. When he learned there was a principal vacancy at Samuell, he applied. Since becoming principal, Guerra has steadily raised Samuell’s rating from a D to a C, and he hopes to continue raising it until it becomes an A-rated school.

“I love our students at Samuell. They are a great group who work hard but are often unaware of the opportunities available to them outside of Dallas or Pleasant Grove,” he said. “My favorite part of this job is being able to bring those opportunities to them, whether through educational partnerships, early college programs, or internships with local companies and the district.”

At Samuell, Guerra has expanded the course offerings—adding a video game pathway—improved the athletic program, deepened student engagement, and built relationships with parents. 

“This is a wonderful school. It’s a great community. It’s got a lot of history. And our kids are good kids, you know, they’re really good. They’re determined,” Guerra said. “They’ve been through a lot, and they know how to get things done.” 

One of Guerra’s favorite teaching memories involved a specific cohort of students he had the privilege of teaching at Seagoville from ninth to eleventh grade. This extended time allowed him to build deep, personal relationships with the students, who became very dear to him. He noted that one student from that group is now a teaching assistant in the special education department at Samuell. 

“Building those relationships and watching the students grow is rewarding, but what I’m most proud of is circling back with them later in life,” he said. “Seeing them return to the district, get jobs, and mature into adults is truly an amazing experience.”

Guerra said there is nothing quite like the feeling of watching each graduating class walk across the stage, knowing he played a part in their success.

“Over four years, you build relationships with them, watch them grow, and remember the difficult times when they wanted to quit,” he said. “Being there for them, keeping them going, and seeing them succeed is just an awesome, irreplaceable feeling.”