Brian Guiney believes that connection is one of the most important aspects of a student’s high school experience. As the new head principal of West, he is looking forward to implementing strategies to encourage connections between students, their teachers, their peers, and the subjects they’re studying.
“I think the idea of connection is critical in anything you do. When I say connected, it doesn’t mean just physical proximity; it means that you have a relationship. You know each other’s names, there’s a level of care that allows you to function effectively,” Guiney said.
Guiney knows firsthand what makes West function effectively. Having been an English teacher at West for over 20 years, as well as being a parent of three West alumni, he has a thorough understanding of how West operates and what its students and teachers need to thrive. He believes that his children’s time at West has greatly benefited them both long-term and short-term.
“[My daughter Lily] covers the state legislature in Lansing, so she’s in committee meetings, she’s at the Capitol, the governor knows her name. [During] her time at West, she was in Model UN, AP Gov with Mr. Ready, The Occidentalist. All those things lined up. There is a pathway that you can trace pretty quickly from this school to the adult world,” Guiney said.
As Guiney mentioned, both great classes and teachers gave his own children a valuable experience at West. English teacher Aimee Cole, previously Guiney’s colleague and fellow educator during his time at West, is eager to see him step into the new role.
“I’m excited. I think he’s bringing us all back on the same page with the same focus. I think that’s pretty exciting,” Cole said.
Cole is happy to see new leading styles and structures being implemented in the school, and is optimistic about the future of West under Guiney’s leadership.
“I think that Mr. Guiney has an organized approach to really doing things. I think he’s very organized in the way that he wants teachers to think about their pedagogy and about their practice,” Cole said.
Guiney’s structured leadership extends not only to teachers, but to the students as well. After working as an assistant principal at Central High School for 8 years, Guiney knows how to manage working with pupils. Managing about 450 students at Central, he knows how to adapt to each student’s individual needs.
“He talks to students, [and] definitely students talk to him. He likes to interact with students when he can,” Student governor Addie DeGood said.
Guiney is determined to make the transition to a new principal as smooth as possible, and many students and staff alike are certain that his long-lasting impact will be positive. Although his management strategies may be different from former Principal Joe Esper, there is no doubt that they will be equally as effective.
“I would say I feel like not too much has changed, but it’s definitely good to have some new leadership. I think he’ll definitely make [the school better],” DeGood said.
![“[She is First will] do the craft show which is in the fall at West it’s run in like the commons and some of the class wings and we usually just make stuff or we sell baked goods so it’s kind of like a combination of ornaments for Christmas and then just different like knickknacks and stuff that students make and then like cookies,” Polk said.](https://wshoccidentalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/New-club-leaders-she-is-the-first--1200x900.jpg)
