Mr. Matthew Zapoticzny, one of the assistant principals at Edison High School, is the newest addition to the EHS administrative team. A former EHS student and teacher, he is in charge of managing the Class of 2028 and the head of coordinating NJPGA/NJSLA testing.
However, his path to a career in education was one he hadn’t anticipated. While studying at Rutgers University, he began teaching as a side profession, and his job helping his students made him want to pursue education seriously.
“I was actually a pharmacy major, and to make some extra money, I started substitute teaching, and I really enjoyed it,” Zapoticzny recalled. “I didn’t realize how much I missed being around kids.”
These experiences motivated him to change his major to biology and education and pursue an academic career full-time.
As an assistant principal, his responsibilities can change drastically, and there is no exact schedule to follow. Usually, he’ll have an agenda of things he’d like to get done, but anything can change at any moment.
“The day will tell me what is going to happen and what needs to get done, not the other way around,” he said.
However, the unpredictability of the day is what Zapoticzny enjoys the most about his work. He appreciates that every day brings something new and that there’s always something new to do and enjoy.
“The best part is that no two days are the same. I have to expect the unexpected and just roll with it,” he said. “You have to make the best of every day and handle everything as a new challenge.”
Working closely with school principal Mr. Charles Ross and the rest of the school administration, Zapoticzny and the other assistant principals have an important role to play in supporting and empowering students to excel in their academic and personal growth.
“I see my role as providing students with the support they need to do their jobs, and to serve as a safe space for students to express their concerns and opinions,” Zapoticzny said. “I will always listen and try to provide the best situation to whatever situation a student has.”
Additionally, he has relied heavily on the support from the other staff members as he continues to adjust to his role. He believes that it’s important to maintain clear communication and collaboration to ensure smooth daily operations.
“I’ve been on the job barely six months, and I’m still trying to learn what I don’t know,” said Zapoticzny. “We have a great administrative team that has so many years of experience, and I can lean on them to ask them questions and help me out.”
From his experiences in handling relations with teachers and students, Zapoticzny believes that one can take away positives from those they might not get along with. He believes that even a negative confrontation can produce beneficial lessons that can produce positive results for future occasions.
“I try to look at the silver lining, even at a negative confrontation or situation. I could take a positive away and use it as a learning experience and benefit in the future,” he said. “If you’re not learning from each experience, you’re simply going to keep making the same mistakes, and that’s not good for anybody.”
In terms of being a leader, Zapoticzny believes that it’s crucial to listen to others and be adaptable when making hard decisions.
“When you make a decision, you have to think about the immediate consequences, but there are also other things that might happen that you didn’t intend,” he said. “You also have to be able to change course — not just right away, but later down the road too.”
Though he may be the newest member of the EHS administration family, his experiences and wisdom gained through his career in education and student work, he implores students not to be afraid of failure and to learn from their mistakes to improve in the future.
“Don’t look at failures as a failure; look at it as a learning experience and say ‘How can I learn from this experience?’ and move it forward,” Zapoticzny advises. “It’s like a building block to make progress and continue improving on it.”