Mr.Calleros is one of the newest assistant principals at Anaheim High School; not everyone has had the opportunity to interact with him. You may have seen Mr.Calleros walking around campus, passing periods, or during lunch supervising. This is Mr. Calleros’s third year at Anaheim High School.

He was born in Lynwood, CA, and grew up in Los Angeles for the first ten years of his Life with his four siblings and loving parents; When reflecting upon his experience attending South Gate High School, he mentions how he played football, ran track, and field, and was just “going with the flow.” Although dedicated to sports, he would only attempt to do the bare minimum in school, not

realizing what his potential could be.

“De chiripiorca, I ended up working in a school.” Mr. Calleros could have never imagined ever working in a school. Instead, he shares, “if anything, I wanted to be as far away from school as possible.” His Life started to evolve when he began college, and one day they accepted him at a job fair as an instructional assistant.  He remembers a  little booth with two ladies. As he passed by, one of the ladies looked at him and asked, “Where are you going?” He responded, “I’m going back to class, ma’am. I’m not qualified for that.” The lady then sat him down, asked him questions, and asked if he had ever worked with students with disabilities. He hadn’t.  However, at just 18 years old, he found himself hired to be an instructional assistant at La Mirada High school.

Mr. Calleros worked as an instructional assistant for seven years before working as a special education teacher for six years. He is currently an assistant principal in his third year. He shares that working as an instructional assistant never felt like a job. He always wanted to impact students. He got his admin credential with the intention of eventually using it, “I just didn’t know it would happen so quickly.” There was an open job for an assistant principal, and his colleague encouraged him to apply, and here he is today, “Gracias a Dios.”

Like everyone, Mr.Calleros has faced multiple challenges. For instance, college wasn’t easy for him. The journey was easier said than done. He moved out of his parents’ home at the young age of 19, which he says made things more challenging. Along the way, he faced financial problems; he went through the pain of loss and some mental health issues. Seeing the end game is what motivated him to keep going. Mr.Calleros feels fortunate for what he has today. He mentions that while you go through Life, there are different times where you are reminded of what’s important.

 When he was asked about the person who had the most influence on him, he quickly responded that it was his mom. He describes her as the strongest, humble, most hardworking person he’s ever met. Always that constant guide still does “She keeps me humble.” As we finish, he says, “Life is going to give you the blows… Big ones,” He reminds us that what matters is how you respond to those moments.  Are you going to stay down and feel sorry and in a stage of self-pity or get help and move forward.  

Finally, he closes us off with a Mexican saying, “animo, animo, animo.” He closes with the saying he uses the most, “No pasa nada, no pasa nada.”