This article profiles Randy Jensen, the 2005 MetLife/NASSP National Middle Level Principal of the Year. As the principal of William Thomas Middle School in American Falls, Idaho, Jensen is a committed advocate for his students as they grapple with the challenges that come with being an adolescent and has adopted an open-door policy with his school community. Jensen, who is the father of four children, grew up as the youngest of seven siblings and discovered that he loved working with adolescents when he became a Little League coach at the age of 16. When Jensen first became principal at William Thomas, he created a culture of positive reinforcement in a school that had previously focused on discipline. One of the first things he did as a principal was to establish a student-of-the-week program. In his first year as principal, Jensen's main focus was to integrate a middle level school philosophy into the culture of William Thomas. To do this, he implemented a teacher advisory program, a skills exploration program, and a parent advisory committee. Jensen also restructured the school to run on a flexible block schedule and introduced student-led conferences. Embracing new and innovative educational tools is an important facet of Jensen's administrative style. Jensen also believes that "middle school philosophy means making big schools small" and his staff members use the relationships they build with students to promote their academic growth.