After 22 years at Stockdale High School, Ramon Hendrix started to consider his next steps in his long career in education, and where he might want to finish.

Hendrix had served the last 13 years as principal of the west Bakersfield high school and had a long career in the Kern High School District before making a major decision to leave Stockdale and the district recently.

The decision to leave, however, was made a bit easier by his selection as the superintendent of the Greenfield Union School District — the same district he attended as a child growing up in Bakersfield.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to go back to the community I grew up in,” Hendrix told Richard Beene during a June 12 interview on “The Richard Beene Show.”

Through the years, Hendrix has remained close to the district that helped formulate his love of education, including serving on the Board of Trustees for nearly a decade. When Chris Crawford retired as superintendent, Hendrix decided to apply for the position.

“I’m very familiar with the schools, the community, and I’m looking forward to this opportunity,” Hendrix said.

A graduate of South High School, Hendrix said he had no intention of coming home to Bakersfield after graduating from University of Pacific, but family brought him back. His first teaching and administrative job was at South High, where he spent the first seven years of his career. In 1991, he moved to the newly opened Stockdale High — the first of a wave of new schools to spread throughout the Kern High School district over the next 20 years.

“This is a great community to grow up in, and a great community to work in,” Hendrix said.

As part of his job as Stockdale’s principal, he said it was important to be engaged with his students and parents as much as possible.

“I would have been perfectly happy finishing my career at Stockdale High School,” said Hendrix. “It has been my world and part of my life for the past 22 years. We have some excellent programs there.

“It’s been awesome. It’s been a very difficult decision to apply for a new position and leave Stockdale and the Kern High School District.”

Hendrix will be replaced by Scott Odlin, who has already taken over at Stockdale. Hendrix will officially assume his duties as Greenfield’s new superintendent next month.