Towards the beginning of the second semester, Ayala’s United Student Body (USB) classroom was yet to have an official advisor to lead the class. Despite the countless rallies that were put together by the classroom that have continued to pique the interest of the Bulldogs, the class has not had a continuous leader to guide them throughout the year. Amidst the search for an advisor, a particular teacher decided to take on the role. With a proven track record of mentoring students on and off the field, Mr. Randy Reams volunteered to take on this challenge in order to foster collaboration amongst student leaders, organize impactful events, and further strengthen the bond within the class. 

Before taking on this role, Reams served as the Assistant Football Coach Football and Flag Football, as well as the teacher on record for the Girls Basketball team and Integrated Math I. Though he understood that being the advisor for the USB class would be a difficult task amongst his other responsibilities on campus, he was willing to step into the position.

“I thought about it for a long time, put some good thought and effort into it, and decided that it’s time to try something new,” Reams said. “I’ve realized that it’s a lot more work than what I could have anticipated, but I was still looking forward to it.” 

As a football coach, Reams has been a pillar of support for countless student-athletes by instilling values of perseverance, discipline, and teamwork. From organizing spirit weeks to overseeing student projects, he hopes to bring these values and principles into the USB classroom as well, as he has already received positive feedback from the members of the student body.

“My first impression of Mr. Reams was that he seemed like a natural leader and an advisor that would be understanding, while knowing when to be strict during appropriate times,” Kathleen Chang (10) said. “He has been guiding us in putting together solutions that satisfy the USB class and Ayala’s admin, and is putting in a great amount of effort to set a path in which the two collaboratively work together.”

Other students within the USB class have also reciprocated similar thoughts, expressing his hard work and dedication simply by taking the initiative and volunteering to be the new advisor. Reams shows his diversity in his personality by asserting his leadership in the classroom while ensuring that the students’ perspectives are still being considered. 

“I think his presence in the class will make our students more organized because of his past experiences leading football,” Lucas Liu (10) said. “Because sports like this require leading people together to reach a certain objective and delegating roles, I think he will have a tighter central control on the USB class and strengthen our bond.”

The transition marks an exciting new chapter for both Reams and the student body. Students are already expressing excitement about the energy and ideas he is planning on bringing to the role in parallel to their own ideas. 

“I’m looking forward to working with the students and coming up with new ideas, along with bringing back some of the traditions that we had in the school,” Reams said. “Ultimately, in my eyes, this is a student-based and student-led program, and I am going to do the best I can to support their ideas and make them come to fruition.”