After the retirement of our principal Mr. Flynn in January, many were saddened by this unexpected news but were also happy for him as he had served over 40 years in the PYLUSD district. His joyful personality and positive attitude made such a huge impact on the students and staff at YLHS, and to no longer see him on our campus makes it feel like something will always be missing. In honor of the time, he served as our principal when YLHS first opened, there is now a street dedicated to him called Flynn Way, and a ceremony and various other ways of recognition were held for him too. In place of Mr. Flynn, Dr. Dihn was asked to take over, making many joyful as Dr. Dihn has already been working on our campus for quite a few years. To the excitement of many, just a few months later, he is now officially our principal at YLHS.

With all the hard work Dr. Dihn has given to better our school, students have great things to say about him. Juliana Neemah (10) comments on how she likes how “Dr. Dihn is very involved with his students and enjoys talking with them. Whenever [she] sees him on campus he always asks how [her] basketball games went and sometimes even watches them.” His support for the students on our campus really shows how much effort he puts into making each student feel welcome, and for many, seeing a familiar face on campus also brings a sense of comfort and stability during these uncertain times.

When asked about Dr. Dihn becoming our principal, many staff members had very positive messages as they gave him a warm welcome to his new position. Mrs. Chavez (S) is looking forward to everything Dr. Dihn has planned, saying that “he is a great listener and has a ton of compassion for the students and staff at YLHS. I love his energy and commitment to our campus!” She also believes that he has done a lot to contribute to YLHS through “his positive vibes and outlook to YLHS”, and she is “really thankful to have a Principal like Dr. Dinh”. Additionally, she adds that him being “familiar with our campus, students, staff, and community is so important! He truly cares about our Mustang Family and works so hard for all of us!” This truly shows how appreciative our teachers are of him, as his hard work never goes unnoticed.

As shown with how much our staff and students care about Dr. Dihn, many have also wondered about his experiences at Yorba Linda High School and him being our principal now. When asked about his experience as Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Dihn (S) shares that “[he] loved every aspect of it. Mostly, [he] loved interacting with students and supporting their achievements. With the great students and staff and a supportive community, [he] is truly blessed to work at Yorba Linda High School.” Considering Dr. Dihn has been at Yorba Linda High School for a few years, he has many great memories of our school, as he recounts when he states that there are “too many” memories when asked, but “what stands out above them all is when Principal Flynn, who is the founding principal of Yorba Linda High School and a person I admire, walked into my office and informed me he was retiring. Then, he told me that he wanted me to be the next principal at YLHS!” This is such an honor for Dr. Dihn, as Mr. Flynn left such a great legacy at the start of our high school, so for Dr. Dihn to continue his great work shows that he is up to the challenge.

Of course, becoming a principal takes a long time and a thorough process full of interviews and training. When asked about this process, Dr. Dihn (S) says “I feel that my journey to become a principal began with my foundations growing up. Being a principal requires not only the technical skills of leadership that are acquired over time, but a deep-rooted sense of purpose that grows through experiences and reflection.” Even though Dr. Dihn has just recently transitioned into this position, he believes that he “honestly hasn’t had the time to truly reflect on it yet, but the words that come to [his] mind are honored and blessed.” He also believes that the school community has extended to him love and support which makes him grateful to continue to serve this school to the best of his ability. 

With this position comes a lot of responsibilities to handle, but Dr. Dihn emphasizes how “with great energy and excitement, [he] looks forward to working with others to carry on existing traditions while implementing new ideas that align to the core values of STAMPEDE.” Though he was already appointed to a higher position in our school, a major difference between this position and the last position is that he is “ultimately responsible for everything that happens at YLHS.” 

With everything mentioned about Dr. Dihn and his career, he also wanted to add that “[he] would not be who [he] is or where [he] is if it wasn’t for [his] wife. Although [he] may now be the boss at work, [his] wife will be the first to let you know that she is still the boss at home.” Overall, with Dr. Dihn’s compassion and devotion to YLHS, he is going to do an efficient job at keeping YLHS the wonderful school it is.