We’re welcoming three familiar faces into new leadership roles across the District! Join us as we sit down with Angela Estrella, Principal of Mission Manor Elementary School; Dr. Dedee Lyngstad Brown, Chief Student Services Officer; and Christian Miranda, Director of Transportation.

While all three are new to their current positions this school year, they are far from new to education or to Sunnyside Unified School District. Each guest brings a unique career journey, but they share a common commitment: putting students at the center of every decision they make.

For Angela and Christian, their paths to education began in an unexpected place: UPS. Both Sunnyside graduates, they built valuable skills during their time with the company before discovering that their true calling was in education. Angela knew she wanted to make a difference in students’ lives and eventually found her way into the classroom and, ultimately, school leadership. Christian found a way to turn his experience in transportation at UPS into a career supporting students, first working in transportation for Glendale School District before returning to Sunnyside.

Dr. Lyngstad Brown's journey into education began much earlier. Growing up in Montana, she knew from a young age that teaching was her calling. Her career began with her first teaching position in Long Beach, California, before bringing her to Tucson. Once here, she knew Sunnyside was where she wanted to build her career. Her two-decade journey in SUSD began at Elvira Elementary, continued as principal of Los Niños Elementary and eventually brought her to the District Office, where she now serves as Chief Student Services Officer.

Together, Angela, Dedee and Christian share the experiences that shaped their careers, what inspired them to take on their new roles and their goals for the school year ahead. While their journeys may look different, their message is remarkably similar: everything they do comes back to students.

Tune in to this episode of Somos Sunnyside to meet three leaders who are stepping into new roles while continuing a commitment to the students, families and community that brought them to SUSD in the first place.