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Sara Bravo earned her undergraduate degree from UNF and began teaching in 1999 at Landon Middle School and was fortunate to be on the faculty that opened Lavilla School of the Arts in 2000.  After eight years at LaVilla as a teacher and instructional coach, Mrs. Bravo earned her Masters' degree from Jacksonville University and moved back to Landon Middle as an Assistant Principal, working and learning under her mentor on the team that transitioned Landon Middle into Julia Landon College Prep Middle.  After four years as an Assistant Principal at Julia Landon and three years as the school's Principal, Mrs. Bravo was given the opportunity to lead Englewood High School where she spent five years, working with a talented team and moving the school from a 78% graduation rate to a 91% graduation rate while building the Johnson & Johnson Early College Academy and Dual Language Program.  

Mrs. Bravo was thrilled to join Mustang Nation as the principal in June of 2020 and has worked tirelessly alongside the incredible faculty and community to lift Mandarin back into it's rightful place as an "A" school with a 97% graduation rate.  

Mrs. Bravo and her husband have been married 20 years and have two wonderful teenagers, one of whom is a senior at Mandarin High while the other begins his undergrad journey at UNF in the Fall of 2023. In her "spare" time, Mrs. Bravo is a homebody who enjoys running, reading and spending time with her family and ridiculous number of pets.  She considers Mandarin High her third child and is incredibly proud to serve this community and to work with a talented and dedicated faculty and staff.  

 

 

 

 

 

Ms. Pecarek was born and raised in Clearwater, Florida. Her parents, an English teacher and an attorney, made sure she grew up loving to read and listening to learn. Ms. Pecarek has many fond memories of visiting her mother’s classroom and hearing her many stories about her life as a teacher.

At the early age of 16, Ms. Pecarek began her college experience at the University of Kansas, then returned to Seminole High School to earn her diploma. Following high school, Ms. Pecarek attended University of Florida and the University of North Florida. She earned her BA in English and MA in English at the University of North Florida.

Shortly after earning her degree, Ms. Pecarek chose the career of an educator. Like most teachers, she felt a strong calling to invest her time and energy in providing rich and meaningful learning experiences for young people. In 2005, Ms. Pecarek began her career at Westside High School, where she taught English and Reading. After a few years, she moved into an Instructional Coach role, which allowed her to grow as a leader among teachers. As a coach, she led her teachers to show double digit increases in the school’s writing scores and college readiness indicators. After completing a С³óߣ leadership program, Ms. Pecarek earned her Educational Leadership credentials and served Ed White High School as an assistant principal. Here, her primary responsibilities included curriculum management. Since 2014, Ms. Pecarek has called Mandarin High School home. She loves the Mandarin community and you can find her at most MHS sports and student life events!

In her leisure time, Ms. Pecarek watches sports of all kinds, loves to read, spoil her dogs and cats, and travel. By far, Ms. Pecarek’s favorite place to travel is anywhere in Scandinavia. Her recent trips include exploring the sites and traditions of Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland.

Ms. Pecarek is moving into her tenth year as an Assistant Principal at Mandarin High and is passionately committed to the faculty and staff, its students and families, and cherishes the time she spends in service to them.

 

  

 

 

 

 

Mr. Aaron Lakatos grew up in Wellington, Florida, and is the youngest of three boys. His parents retired from Palm Beach County Public Schools after years of dedication to the school district. 

While in high school, Mr. Lakatos was fortunate to meet several teachers who made an impact on his life, further influencing his eventual career path. He also enjoyed being an accomplished athlete in football and wrestling. 

Following high school, Mr. Lakatos attended the University of Central Florida and graduated in 2003 with a degree in Secondary Social Science Education. 

He began his career in education teaching United States history at Corner Lake Middle School in Orange County, Florida. He began the intramural sports program there and became a lead teacher. 

In 2006, Mr. Lakatos moved from Orlando to Jacksonville and began teaching history and coaching football at Sandalwood High School. Mr. Lakatos taught for four years before transitioning to an Assistant Principal position at Sandalwood, where he served for twelve years. While at Sandalwood High School, Mr. Lakatos helped to lead the school as an ‘A’ school for over four years, created and led four career academies, and was able to assist the school in reaching a 99% graduation rate.

Mr. Lakatos is a Mandarin resident with his four children and amazing wife, Hannah. He is an active member of the Mandarin Community as his children attend(ed) Greenland Pines Elementary (where he has served as SAC chair), Mandarin Middle School, Twin Lakes Academy Middle School, and now Mandarin High School. 

In his "free" time, Mr. Lakatos enjoys spending time with his family, going to local parks and beaches, and taking trips to places like Saint Augustine and Fernandina.  

Mr. Lakatos is excited to join the incredible Mustang Nation as an Assistant Principal this year! 

 

 

 

 

Robert Baldwin arrived in Jacksonville, Florida in 1993 by way of the United States Navy. While enlisted, he served in the Persian Gulf War for eight months.  After his service, Mr. Baldwin earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Jacksonville University.  He began his teaching career at Northwestern Middle School in Mathematics, serving as grade level chair, content level chair, and math coach.  In addition, Mr. Baldwin served as the afterschool program lead as well as helped to develop the summer math curriculum for the District’s middle school math department.  He later earned his Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership from American College of Education with a 4.0 G.P.A.  In addition to his classroom and curriculum experience, Mr. Baldwin served as math lead and Dean of Students at Darnell Cookman School of the Medical Arts.  

Mr. Baldwin is moving into his third year serving as an Assistant Principal at Mandarin High where he has led the math team to double digit increases in proficiency and gains.  It is his goal and passion to serve as a visible liaison between students, parents, and teachers each and every day.  

 

 

Mr. Tim Durkin

durkint@duvalschools.org

Mr. Durkin was born in Battle Creek, Michigan and raised on the south side of Denver by a teacher and a cheese maker. Upon graduating from Littleton High School, Mr. Durkin attended the University of South Carolina in Columbia, graduating with a degree in Oceanography and specializing in the creation of maps. He arrived in the Jacksonville education scene through a succession of inspired conversations, insipidly cold Colorado winters, and a desire to light littles fires in the scientific imagination of young Floridians.

Mr. Durkin began his teaching career at Highlands Middle School in 2000. He went on to teach advanced level biology at Bishop Kenny High School, where he coached the Men and Women Swimming and Diving teams to the Florida State Championship and consistent District championships through 2008. Eventually, his heart returned to the students that needed him most and he taught at Andrew Jackson High School, where he aided the team in taking the school from the worst performing high school in the state to a “B.” He has been a successful administrator at Edward H. White High School and Westside High School prior to coming to Mandarin in the Fall of 2021.   His son is a Mandarin senior and his twin daughters are Mandarin sophomores.  

In his spare time, Mr. Durkin and his wife of 20 years, Rebecca, love to travel the country with their family looking for the perfect lunch on a sunny afternoon, kayaking the St. John’s watershed, and listening to rock n roll.