It’s crucial to never overlook the importance of a good first impression. Whether applying for a job, walking into class on the first day, or meeting the crazy in-laws, a friendly greeting will always be appreciated. A rude one, on the other hand, may just leave you with an adversary instead of a friend. The same goes for businesses and schools, which is exactly why North Atlanta High School is nothing but grateful for the friendly face of Christopher Cruz to welcome our visitors each and every day. 

Cruz has lived in Atlanta for much of his adult life, but grew up across the country in Los Angeles, California. He is an LA native that traded in the sunny west coast for a city in the forest. After attending Nashville University and studying early childhood education and teaching, Cruz worked as an operations manager for a large dispatch company before coming to APS. Quite the change in work environment! “I’ve always wanted to work in a school with students, and after a brief change in career path, this is just where I ended up!”

Before coming to North Atlanta in 2017, Cruz had been working in the district since 2004, including at the ESOL office, our feeder school Garden Hills Elementary, and several other APS elementary schools. Even with all this background in school environments, Cruz has stated that the North Atlanta experience is more favorable than any other. “The community here is more involved and engaged, and the student and teacher populations are much more diverse,” Cruz said.

So what exactly does the job of front office clerk for a high school entail? The simplest answer would be “lots of people” and that is exactly what attracted Cruz to the position: he loves people! In his role he is in charge of safety for the building, helping visitors and parents, and supporting administration, teachers, and students. The job can be busy and overwhelming at times, but the work always makes his day go by quickly. “I love getting to interact with people all day in this job and always staying busy,” he said. 

Cruz can easily be described as a people-person and he loves the North Atlanta student body and staff. He’ll talk to anyone, but as his desk sign says, make sure to say “Good Afternoon!” first. Through his variety of responsibilities, Cruz is always interacting with a wide range of people, and always does his best to help in any way he can. “My goal is to inspire and guide the next generation on the right path and to do the right thing,” he said. 

North Atlanta thanks you for everything you do Mr. Cruz!