This past summer, Mountain Creek Middle School students and staff said goodbye to the only principal they’ve ever known.

Principal Mike Glenn, who oversaw the school’s construction and opening in 2019, has transitioned to Sunset Ridge Middle School. Taking his place is Glen Varga, stepping into his first principal role.

“Mike has been one of my mentors; he was my principal when I was at Oquirrh Hills; before that, his children were in my Oquirrh Hills classroom,” Varga said. “When I did my administrative internship, I did those hours at Herriman High School with Mike as he was an assistant principal when the school first opened. He has been a point of contact for me since I started teaching so this will be a smooth transition.”

Varga brings experience as assistant principal at West Jordan Middle, Copper Hills High and most recently, Riverton High. 

His appointment is part of several administrative changes across South Jordan as schools reopened in late August.

Varga said the move reflects his own drive to keep learning.

“After doing one thing for so long, I’d start to question whether I want to keep growing or not,” he said, stating this is why he got into administration after teaching. “I wanted to change because I have a constant need to learn, to grow, and that speaks to why I got into education to begin with and that is to help others learn and grow and become the best they can be. After three to five years, I start to get a little complacent. I need that drive to continue learning and doing new things.”

That passion for growth led Varga through a diverse academic path—from science to linguistics—before settling on an English major, earning his bachelor’s from Brigham Young University, a master’s from the University of Phoenix and an administrative license from Utah State University.

Raised in Cedar City, Varga dreamed of being a professional athlete and played five varsity sports in high school. He credits his former teachers for shaping his educational values.

“Lenora Roundy was my high school English teacher and my academic hero. She gave me a baseline model for what a teacher should be. She cared about kids. She cared about her subjects. She wouldn't hesitate at any point to let us know how she felt about our progress, and was truly a genuine, all-around individual,” Varga said. “My fourth-grade teacher, Barbara Beckstrom, was another one of those individuals who had an impact in my life.”

Varga praised Mountain Creek students for high academic performance and applauded the faculty’s openness to innovation and improvement. He also values the school’s inclusive spirit, especially its unified activities and sports and hopes to expand unified academic programs.

“Unified is so amazing at this school; we want to be supportive and expand where possible. We want to provide more opportunity for them to have equal access. Sometimes they're just overlooked because they are perceived as not having the requisite skill to succeed, but that can't be the determining factor for their eligibility for participation. Success isn't always defined the same,” he said. 

Varga also plans to evaluate student use of Chromebooks.

“We want to make wise decisions about them; are we using them too much, too little, appropriately? There is a need to be more aware and conscientious of how much is too much. Maybe we’re fine, but let’s look at it. Even within our classes, it can't be ‘OK, guys, welcome to class. Pull open your Chromebooks, the lesson’s there. Go to work. Let me know if you need any help.’ That's not a teacher's role. The most effective teaching methods in class aren't always technology driven; you don't have to be connected to a device,” he said.

The lover of sports, including Frisbee golf; of music (a drummer and singer); of radio-controlled planes; of woodworking and construction, Varga is excited to work in South Jordan.

“All of our four kids have gone through Jordan School District or are in Jordan Schools; We've been a Jordan district family for the last 20 years,” he said. “This is my home; I want to be an advocate for this community.”

Other new administrative assignments include South Jordan Middle Assistant Principal Kami Taylor to West Jordan High; Copper Mountain and Mountain Creek middle schools’ Assistant Principal Jody Deland to full time at Copper Mountain Middle; Bingham High Administrative Intern Ivie Erickson to South Jordan Middle as assistant principal; Aspen Elementary Assistant Principal Heather Handy to Sunset Ridge Middle; Mountain Creek Middle Assistant Principal Wendy Harmon to Hidden Valley Middle; District Teaching and Learning Math Consultant Amy Kinder to Mountain Creek Middle as assistant principal; and Hidden Valley Middle Assistant Principal Amber Zdunich to Elk Ridge Middle.

Elementary school appointments include Welby Elementary Principal Aaron Ichimura to Falcon Ridge Elementary; South Jordan Elementary Principal Bryce Eardley to Mountain Shadows Elementary; Bastian Elementary Assistant Principal Kasey Dahl to Welby Elementary as principal; Ridge View Elementary Assistant Principal Beth Pollock to South Jordan Elementary as principal; Welby Elementary Assistant Principal Janae Young to Oakcrest Elementary as principal; Elk Ridge Middle Assistant Principal Danielle Hanson to Westvale Elementary; Rosamond Elementary Assistant Principal Teresa Rossetti to South Jordan Elementary; South Jordan Elementary Assistant Principal Adrienne Yancey to Mountain Point Elementary; Jordan Ridge Elementary Administrative Intern Aimie Rizzuto to assistant principal at the same school; and Elk Meadows Elementary Administrative Intern Stacie Thompson to assistant principal at the same school.

New administrative internships in South Jordan are Laura Visaggio at Bingham High; Angela Crawford at Oquirrh Hills and Mountain Creek middle schools; and Lara Stout at Welby Elementary.