Social Studies Department Head, Journalism Advisor, and girls basketball assistant coach Sam Jezak will take a six-week paternity leave as he welcomes his newborn child. During Jezak’s leave, Dr. Sohrab Ghassemi, who previously held a long term substitute role at The Harker School, will teach AP U.S. History, American Government, and U.S. History.
Head of Upper Campus Eve Kulbieda said the Pinewood environment will be different without Jezak.
“Faculty will miss Mr. Jezak’s daily presence, his thoughtful insights, his quiet leadership, and the way he shows up for students and colleagues alike,” Kulbieda said.
Throughout his time at Pinewood, Jezak’s supportive personality has touched the experiences of many students.
Senior Billy Lloyd appreciates Jezak’s lessons as an advisor in Journalism and photography.
“I’m gonna miss his mentorship,” Lloyd said. “He’s been a really great advisor throughout these last four years. He’s an invaluable part of the Journalism community.”
Senior Caitlyn Kramer describes how Jezak has elevated her performance on the court and in the classroom.
“In the classroom, you can tell he understands all his students, and he works to help them [learn],” Kramer said. “On the basketball court, if I’m struggling, he’ll always talk to me or give me advice on what to do.”
Junior Camilla Shtrom appreciates how Jezak supported her on the tennis court even before becoming one of his students.
“Even before I joined his APUSH class, he would ask me in the hallways how tennis was going,” Shtrom said. “[It] made me feel like ‘Oh, this guy cares about what I’m doing and what I’m a part of.’”
Additionally, the Pinewood faculty and staff admire Jezak for his calm and authentic presence.
“Working with Mr. Jezak is energizing and reassuring,” Kulbieda said. “He is warm, approachable, and generous with his time and ideas. He listens carefully, follows through consistently, and brings a calm, student-centered perspective to conversations and decisions.”
Although his planned leave will depend on the arrival of his child, Jezak currently plans to take leave from the start of Ski Week to the end of Spring Break. He anticipates that this period will be filled with parental challenges.
“I think I [won’t be] sleeping very much,” Jezak said. “I’m [going to be] changing a lot of diapers.”
Nonetheless, Jezak looks forward to focusing on his family without needing to manage his responsibilities on campus.
“I’m very thankful that I get to spend some time just with [family] and not have to juggle school and work immediately,” Jezak said.
Although the Pinewood community will miss Jezak during his leave, students and staff are excited for the arrival of his child.
“I’m just really excited for this next step in his life,” Lloyd said. “I’m sure the whole Pinewood community is cheering him on.”
