11/10/2022 12:19:27 PMAs a busy assistant principal, Jeremy Gates spends his days supporting teachers, visiting classrooms and celebrating student learning. Yet between after-school activities, professional development sessions and other responsibilities, he carves out time to support his undergraduate alma mater, the University of Houston. He serves on the UH College of Education’s alumni working group, helping strategize ways to increase engagement, and keeps connected to fellow Coogs by attending events such as the fall Homecoming tailgate. “I continue to be active because I appreciate the experience this institution provided for me and would like others to experience something similar,” said Gates, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in teaching and learning in 2015. A former middle school English teacher and specialist focused on multilingual programs, he now works as an administrator at Pin Oak Middle School in the Houston Independent School District. Read more in the Q&A about his interest in teaching, leadership lessons he’s learned — and his brush with a celebrity on campus.