Having done a little bit of everything throughout his career, Hector Limon has returned to Ector County ISD as the new principal of Odessa High School.
Limon, who is from Lubbock, has been a coach, teacher and principal. His parents have 30 years-plus of service as teachers. Currently, they are in Crane.
“It’s a family affair for us being in education,” he said.
Starting out, Limon wanted to be a pediatrician. He was working toward a biology degree at University of Texas at Dallas and working as a pharmacy tech, working at O’Reilly’s and substitute teaching.
He was on the elevator one night after covering a night and a doctor who was a friend of his was doing a residency. The friend discouraged Limon not to go into medicine because it took so much time away from family.
For him, family is the top priority. When he went home during the summer, he helped his dad coach summer baseball teams. Limon would get up at 6 a.m., get in the truck with his dad and go to the high school with him and he would sub, prep the field, coach with him.
Limon realized that if he was willing to do that for free, why not make a life out of it?
“As a kid I had a great childhood. I was a gym rat. I got to ride the bus with dad to baseball games and football games and I was a ball boy for all the football teams. … Why not be able to provide the same childhood for my kids that I was so lucky to have?”
He noted that his parents worked a lot, but their jobs allowed him to tag along. He has two brothers, Marcus Limon, a teacher in Lubbock, and Mick Limon, who was a teacher in Lubbock but recently went into the energy industry.
“I think I made that realization on the elevator that night. Why not? That’s the moment I always point back to when I decided I was going to go into education. That was my junior year in college. I just needed organic chemistry and started getting prepped for you know MCAT and all the prerequisites and I changed; I pivoted,” he said.
Limon ended up earning a bachelor’s degree in historical studies. He played college baseball, but lost three years due to major surgeries. He considered staying as a grad player/assistant, but decided against it. Instead, he took a football position in Plainview ISD.
He also has a master’s degree in educational leadership from Lamar University.
He has been in education for 16 years, excluding substitute teaching.
Coming back to Odessa High School, where he had been associate principal, is a blessing. He was principal at Crane High School.
“This has really been home for me and my family. We love it here at Odessa High, the west side, the culture, the families, the kids,” Limon said.
He and his wife, Erin, have four children.
At OHS, he is expecting about 3,900 students to start the school year.
“This place, it’s all about the people. We could not service our kids, provide the opportunities that we do without the people here, the staff, the support staff, the families, the parents. That’s really what it’s all about. Our people is our No. 1 resource and our No. 1 resource takes care of our number one priority, which is the kids,” Limon said.
His top goal for every student that comes through OHS is to leave with options and opportunities to do what they want with their lives.
“If a kid leaves here, and they don’t have the chance to pursue their passion, or their dream, then we didn’t get it done for that kid. … We have so many options, so many pathways, but it really is about what do you want to do, and how can we set you up to be able to do that? Simple but, I think it’s powerful, especially when I say that in front of a parent. Sometimes they kind of look at me like what? I tell them … this is coming from a good place, from the heart. We want our kids to pursue their passions, not somebody else’s,” Limon said.
OHS usually has a staff of about 275. Limon said they are nearly fully staffed with five or six positions left to fill as of July 25.
“If I could say anything about the staff, and the students here at Odessa High School, it’s that we want to provide a positive, growth-oriented experience for everybody that walks through the doors here,” Limon said.
Executive Director of Leadership Mauricio Marquez said he is excited to have Limon rejoin the OHS community.
“He is consistent, reliable and always willing to go the extra mile. Mr. Limon embodies dedication and integrity in everything he does. His passion (and) building relationships, coupled with a strong work ethic sets him apart as a truly exceptional individual. I certainly look forward to working with him in his new role,” Marquez said.
