Aliso Niguel High School has one of its own in a position to serve, as Class of 2002 graduate Dr. Manoj Mahindrakar stepped into the principal role for the 2024-25 school year. As someone who is well versed on the history and mystique of the school, Mahindrakar is the perfect fit to lead the Wolverines.
Mahindrakar prides himself on trying a little bit of everything in high school and enjoying all of the opportunities that Aliso Niguel afforded him. He competed in long jump and pole vault on the track and field team, participated in ASB and served as president as a senior, and participated in numerous clubs and orchestra. While he calculates that he spent more time on campus than at home during his high school years, he didn’t envision a career in education, instead initially pursuing a law degree after college.
A former activities director and now friend, Heidi Crowley, asked him to serve as a walk-on coach to help the ASB students revive some of the longstanding traditions at Aliso Niguel. Being back involved in the education environment reignited his interest and he switched his focus, returning to Aliso Niguel as a student teacher and then American government teacher.
He pivoted to administration as the activities director and then student services assistant principal, while also coaching jumps on the track and field team. He then moved away from the ANHS campus, working as an assistant principal at San Clemente before moving up to principal at Don Juan Avila Middle School and San Juan Hills High School.
“In my professional career, I have always held to the mindset of ‘stay prepared, love where you are at’,” Mahindrakar said. “I am grateful for all of the opportunities I have had within CUSD. I think when I was at Don Juan Avila, I started to think about the possibility of going back to Aliso Niguel someday. It was fun being back in the Aliso Viejo community, and I liked the idea of seeing some of those students when they moved on to high school.”
Those thoughts have come to fruition, as the sixth and seventh graders from DJAMS are now juniors and seniors at ANHS. Some of Dr. Mahindrakar’s old classmates have students at Aliso Niguel as well.
Mahindrakar is excited to be back on the campus to continue the rich tradition and success of Aliso Niguel. He describes the school as a true melting pot in terms of demographics, interests and opportunities. Every student has a wide array of opportunities in all kinds of different areas, and doesn’t have to focus on just one pursuit.
“There has always been a concerted effort for balance here, and I want to continue the tradition that all student interests will be supported and celebrated at Aliso Niguel,” Mahindrakar said. “This school was founded with a strong academic foundation, and we continue that success, but have really grown to support all areas- athletics, performing arts, social and cultural engagement.”
Just as he did when he first took the walk-on coach job in college, Mahindrakar can serve as a bridge between the past and the present. He sees many of the same traditions alive today as when he was a student, and he can educate students on Aliso Niguel history. He noted that Aliso Niguel was one of the first schools to sponsor a multicultural week, and that tradition still continues today after nearly 30 years.
“It is fun to be back on campus, meeting new students and showing them some of the differences from back when I was in school,” Mahindrakar said. “Most of them see what looks like the shadow of the wolverine on the mural on the front of the gym. That is actually the original wolverine, as the artist made it too big at first and had to paint over it. I like being able to share those fun facts with students and keep that history alive.”
Ultimately, Mahindrakar sees his role as contributing to the rich history of Aliso Niguel in a positive way and helping each student reach their full potential. He cherishes his memories and wants the same for every graduate.
“We are honored to have such a diverse student population here, each bringing their own heritage and perspective,” Mahindrakar said. “They come together here and create a common identity as a Wolverine that will unite them forever.”
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