DGS will be introducing Deangelo Gerald as the new dean of students forthe 2024-25 school year.

Gerald is currently a social worker and has worked at DGS for the past three years. He is also the co-sponsor for Mad Dash, which is an event to welcome incoming ninth graders. He additionally runs the Black Student Union. As the dean of students, Gerald will oversee disciplinary actions within the student body.

“It’s a combination of what I do now with my current social work role, and the implementation of disciplinary measures. So basically, making sure that hallways and commons areas are running smoothly, addressing disciplinary issues when they come up, addressing attendance issues and all the above. Everything the deans currently do, in addition to new preventative measures, is to just combat some of the things we see here on the regular basis related to drug use or once again attendance or fighting, whatever it may be,”Gerald said.

Gerald was chosen out of 55 candidates to be one of seven interviewed for the role. He was interviewed under a large panel of administrators, as well as parents and students, including Principal Arwen Lyp.

“The biggest strength that he has over the other candidates were his ability to truly connect with students and one of the things he talked about in his interview is the positive influence he can see that he is having on the lives of those he is working with as a social worker, and as a dean he would get the opportunity to work with more students,” Lyp said.

Gerald will be joining a team of deans that have been at DGS for several years. Lyp believed he would add new ideas to this team.

“I am excited for Mr. Gerald to join this team because he’s a new dean and he is more recently taking all the graduate school classes he needs to take to become a dean, so he will have a fresh, new lens to see how the role is evolving. So, I am excited to see that he is bringing that new perspective, but to a team that is already so solid,” Lyp said.

Gerald has created a positive relationship with the student body at DGS during his past three years. One student he has interacted with is senior Claire Rhoads.

“Mr. Gerald is definitely a very open minded and easy to talk to person, and you can tell that just by looking at him. Part of that is because he is so caring; I know that he cares about each and every one of his students and wants the best for them. I would say that a strength of his is working with people and motivating them,” Rhoads said.

Gerald wants to continue to work with students in a close proximity, even in his new role.

“I think it’s good to get to know some students you
wouldn’t typically get to know or have those interactions with students that may not necessarily have a positive figure in their life or whatever it may be. You can kinda be that voice in their ear to help guide them down the right path and that’s really what I’m here for,” Gerald said.