New Leadership teacher Mark Higashioka began work over the summer with students and has impressed them with his involvement and enthusiasm. He is replacing Kristen Cunningham, who is now working as an assistant principal at Los Gatos High.
“I want to help them become better leaders, but also help them become better people, because being a teenager is hard,” Higashioka said.
Higashioka, who students call “Mr. H,” brings many years of leadership teaching experience to the table, including six years at Gunderson High from 2016-22, and three years at Pioneer High, from 2022-25.
Outside of teaching, Higashioka enjoys being active, playing golf, basketball, running, hiking and traveling around the world.
Higashioka feels he has always had a leadership role throughout his life, whether official or unofficial. One of the administrators at his past school recommended him to try his hand at leadership. This led to his decision to apply for the job of activities director and he ended up enjoying many aspects of it.
“When I was in high school and college, my favorite job was working at summer camps where I felt like I made a difference but also had fun,” he said. “Natrually, teaching fit this desire to do something where I could make a difference and enjoy what I would do for the next couple of decades.”
While he respects the traditions of SHS, Higashioka said he wants to put his own spin on the Leadership class, emphasizing a strong connection with the broader student body.
New policies and activities include regular activities like Spikeball in the Quad, money management lessons to improve the team’s handling of funds and numerous other ideas. Leadership is a second-period class that includes a mixture of student government groups such as ASB, class officers and the members of various commissions.
Through Higashioka’s new approach to the class, the daily environment has become more interactive, and he actively teaches students how to become better leaders.
Senior class treasurer Dahyun Kim noted that he gives plenty of suggestions and input in class when planning events.
“I think he’s hardworking and passionate about making the school more spirited and collaborative in many ways,” Kim said. “Budget-wise, he’s really smart because he’s been finding many better options, and that has been allowing us to have lower ticket prices for upcoming events.”
Lower-cost venues will allow for Leadership to allocate more money for food and other amenities, bringing up the atmosphere of the events.
Veteran students describe previous teacher Kristen Cunningham’s class as a more student-driven experience, with her focusing on each student individually, helping them develop while letting the class drive itself and plan events independently. In contrast, Higashioka’s style is more teacher-student based, promoting communication between the student body and faculty.
“Cunningham left the planning and events of leadership to us most of the time, and it gave us space to grow. I feel like Mr. H has been more involved than her, and he helped people be a lot more involved in the leadership process,” sophomore class president Edwin Wu said. “I think that boosted a lot of proactiveness in the Leadership class.”
Higashioka’s cheerful mindset and positive effects on the students of the Leadership class have earned a very positive reception around the school, with students and faculty praising his constant engagement and smooth transition into the school.
“So far, everyone has been great trying to walk me through traditions at the school, telling me what things that we want to change and just being very nice and respectful to my start of the year,” Higashioka said.
