Katherine Cain, one of Westview’s new assistant principals, has always wanted to work in a school setting. From her youth and through her college years, Cain worked to pave the way for her future as a teacher and administrator. 

“I started to tutor when I was in college and that really made me see how much I like helping students,” Cain said. “On a less serious side, I used to line up my dolls when I was young and pretend it was a classroom.” 

With a degree in Spanish from Fresno State, and a teaching credential from CSU Monterey Bay, Cain began her teaching career in 2015 as a Spanish teacher in Salinas, her hometown, for two years and then moved to San Diego in 2017 and began teaching at Santana High School for four years.  As much as she enjoyed her time as a teacher, Cain said she wished she could have received more support from her administrators. 

“I never got feedback,” Cain said. “They would observe my classroom and just say, ‘Oh, that was great.’ But I like to grow and improve, so I wanted more.” 

The obstacles Cain faced as a teacher inspired her to pursue a role in administration, where she felt that she could make a greater impact. She returned to college at San Diego State in 2020 to get her Master of Arts in Education and administrative credential. Cain took her first assistant principal job in 2021 at Mount Miguel High School in the Grossmont Union High School District with the intention of providing more support for teachers. 

“I’ve seen different types of administrators and I’ve experienced good and bad, so I wanted to be an administrator who supports teachers and hears them out because they’re the foundation of the school,” Cain said. “Without [administrators’] support, [teachers] can’t do what they need to do for students.”

Cain moved to Rancho Penasquitos in 2023 and said she wants to contribute to the district that she lives in and prepare for her daughter’s eventual enrollment in PUSD schools.

“I wanted to work and give back to the community that I live in,” Cain said. “I also just had a daughter. She’s 9 months old, and eventually she’ll be part of this district, so I thought it would be great for me to work in the district and get to know the district.” 

As an assistant principal, Cain tries to provide support by giving constructive feedback during teacher observations. 

“I try to really understand what they are trying to grow on and what they are looking for,” Cain said. “I try to give them that feedback and not overstep. It’s their classroom and I want to know how I can help them.”

So far, Cain said she has found joy through her new position, especially when it comes to student interactions. 

“I like building relationships with students,” Cain said. “That’s one thing that I really miss about being a teacher. I love the connection with students, helping them, getting to know them, and watching them finish their four years of high school. Here at Westview, I love that the assistant principals are at the front gate every morning greeting the students because I feel like that’s a good moment to get to know them, and for them to get to know us.”

New Assistant Principal and Area Administrator Jesse Shuveiller always thought he was going to work with a professional baseball team. That dream came true right after college, though the job wasn’t quite what he imagined.

“My first job out of college was working for the San Francisco Giants in their marketing department,” Shuveiller said. “Ultimately, I found myself looking for something different and longing for a different type of experience. I always wanted to work with high school students, so [I] started getting into coaching [baseball] a little bit, started observing teachers, and ultimately it led to working in education. I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Once he finally stepped into the classroom as a high school English teacher, Shuveiller said he knew immediately that he had discovered his passion for educating.

“I went back to school to get my teaching credential and my master’s degree,” Shuveiller said. “I knew right away once I started teaching that it was the right thing for me because it was just awesome.” 

Over his 24-year career in education, Shuveiller has gained experience in a variety of roles, such as a teacher, coach, and administrator at six schools across California, including Del Norte and San Marcos High School. Along the way, he has taught English and AVID, coached baseball, basketball, and golf, and took on roles as department chair and instructional leader. 

“I’ve had lots of different experiences, but it was really because I always like to look at what’s next and the next challenge for me as a lifelong learner,” he said. “I had a great connection with high school students. I spoke their language.”

Shuveiller credits much of his passion for education to his teachers and coaches, who shaped his own high school experience and left a lasting impact on his life.

He said his high school teachers played a pivotal role in his decision to move away from baseball and pursue a career in education. 

“I had some very influential teachers and coaches when I was in high school who really helped and supported me,” Shuveiller said. “So, I always felt a strong desire to give back to my community.”

Shuveiller said these experiences helped him realize the importance of building strong relationships with students, staff, and families. 

“I always felt a strong desire to give back to my community,” he said. “It’s significantly important to me to be able to take time to build those relationships, to be able to have conversations with people.”

Shuveiller said his priority 

at Westview is to listen an d understand the needs of the school’s community while working to maintain a positive campus culture.

“I still look for every opportunity to support students as best as I can,” Shuveiller said. “My primary responsibility is to provide a safe and welcoming environment for our students and our staff.”

Shuveiller said the same coaches from his high school years inspired him to give back to his community. Now, as he steps into his new role at Westview, Shuveiller said his goal is to apply those lessons to create the same kind of environment that once inspired him.

“It really boils down to wanting to make sure that all students here have a safe, welcoming, and awesome environment to learn,” he said.