Trusted Adult Spotlight: Aaron Cruz

By Brennan LaBrie

One of the most powerful insights EOS gathers in our student surveys is the identification of each student’s Trusted Adults.  

These are the school staff to whom students feel comfortable going for support, guidance and encouragement.  

Trusted adults can be anyone from teachers and counselors to coaches and cafeteria staff. By making students feel seen, safe, and understood, they play a key role in unlocking their academic potential. 

Aaron Cruz, a ninth grade guidance counselor, is that trusted adult for many students at Pelham Preparatory Academy in The Bronx. 

Empowering Students as Leaders 

Cruz leads Pelham Prep’s Summer Bridge program, which offers incoming freshmen the chance to familiarize themselves with their new school, from its campus to its staff and culture – while earning an elective credit in the process.  

This is where he met Luis Ortiz, an enthusiastic and promising student who he has mentored into a student leader. 

“Having an opportunity to establish a relationship with Luis early on and see where his interests were, and getting to know more about him as a student and a person, it’s really helped me in finding more opportunities for him,” Cruz said. 

This included helping Luis get into Summer@Brown, a college-level summer intensive taught at Brown University, and choosing him to help launch EOS’ RISE (Re-Imagining Student Engagement) program.  

In RISE, students brainstorm ways to transform their school’s culture around advanced courses by spreading awareness and recruiting new students to AP, IB and dual enrollment pathways, and creating support systems for those currently enrolled.  

Cruz saw Luis’ potential for leadership and turned it into reality. In the process, he became one of Luis’ go-to trusted adults.  

“He mentioned that I would be a good fit for RISE, and I thought that I should take the chance and put myself out there more,” Luis said of Cruz. “In my time doing RISE, I feel that it’s helped me become a stronger leader, and I’ve been able to become more vocal about stuff that I feel passionate about and that I think other students should also be passionate about.”

What being a Trusted Adult means to Mr. Cruz 

A commitment to supporting and uplifting students has driven Mr. Cruz’s career in education.  

“I’m always trying to look for opportunities early on to get students to invest in the school and invest in themselves as well,” he said. 

But being named as a trusted adult by his students has been especially meaningful for Cruz. 

“When we get our EOS survey results, and I see my name behind a lot of students as their trusted adult, it definitely does mean a lot, and it just kind of keeps the passion that I have for this career and this space alive,” he said. 

Learn how EOS identifies and equips trusted adults like Mr. Cruz here.

Brennan LaBrie helps amplify the work, mission, and impact of the EOS team and our partners across the education landscape. With a background in local journalism, he seeks to share the stories of individuals and organizations driving impact in their community and beyond.