State POY Series - Christian Ledesma (Minnesota) - Growing Enrollment Through BIg Dreams and Culture

Christian Ledesma is the 2025 Minnesota Principal of the Year Christian Ledesma is the principal of Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, where he leads with a strong focus on safety, equity, and academic excellence. Returning after the pandemic, he addressed students’ physical and emotional well-being through safety campaigns, increased supervision, and student-led cultural celebrations. Under his leadership, Roosevelt strengthened its partnership with the International Baccalaureate program, emphasizing collaborative planning, professional development, and character education. Ledesma’s leadership has created a culture of care and academic rigor, preparing students to thrive as globally-minded, reflective, and principled members of their communities. In this episode Christian shares: - how he grew enrollment 300+ students in 4 years.     - Community events     - Junior Teddy Program     - Academic achievements Backwards planning of student dreams - asking every student their goal after HS, and creating a plan aligned with their goal.  - Walking people through hard stuff Instagram - @Principal_Ledesma Schoo and  @FollowTheTeddy