What is your usual role in the school district? 

I am the Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education, and I typically supervise the principals in the secondary schools (middle school and high school). I also oversee student services and professional development as well as athletics. 

What other districts have you worked at? What did you do there? 

My first job ever was at Pine-Richland, where I taught English. I grew up in the city and I always wanted to go back to teach kids like me. That’s how I ended up teaching English at Carrick High School and Allderdice High School. Then I was the principal of Peabody High School, which is no longer around — it’s Obama Academy now. Then I was the principal of Allderdice High School, which is actually my alma mater, so it was pretty cool to go back and be able to lead people in the school that I attempted. After Allderdice, I became the Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education in the city. Right before I left to come to NA, I was the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services. So I’ve done a little bit of everything. 

How long are you going to be the principal here?  

I could be here anywhere from a month to two months. Ms. Dirda [NASH’s new principal] is currently still up at Mt. Lebanon, and in the state of Pennsylvania, principals can be held for sixty days, but as soon as she’s released, she’ll join us here. After that, I’ll return to the Central Administrative Office, but I’ll visit NASH to support her as she transitions to NA. 

What are you most looking forward to at NASH? 

Being with kids. That’s the hardest thing about moving to a central office role. You work more with adults — and the adults here are amazing — but kids are just special. I really enjoy being in a school because it feels so upbeat. It’s good to see kids and it’s good to see them doing things that they like and being challenged. I just love schools. 

Were there any surprises in your first week? 

I was surprised by the number of kids that reached out and stopped by to say “hi” and pass along some ideas. I thought that was really cool. I love it when kids take initiative and advocate for themselves, so that was really special to me to have that opportunity the first week I was here. 

What’s a good book that you’ve read recently? 

This is going to sound crazy because this book is super, super long, but years ago I read Anna Karenina. It’s one of my favorite books. Right now I am finishing my doctorate, so all I do is read doctoral stuff. I decided to pick up Anna Karenina and I read it again just because I really enjoy the storyline. It is a really long book, and I thought, “Why am I doing this to myself again?” but it’s a way for me to take a step back from all the other stuff in life. 

Come back and ask that question again in a month. By then, I’ll be able to move forward and get into reading again since I’ll be able to check off the last degree that I’ll earn in a lifetime, probably. Unless I want to be a lawyer, but I don’t think that I want to do that. 

What is your dream vacation?

I love the beach. If you told me, “Pack your bags. Let’s go to the beach tomorrow!” I’d be there. This past summer, we went to the Caymans and I had never been on vacation anywhere like that. It’s just so different. It was so laid back and I really enjoyed that. Usually, I work a lot while I’m on vacation, but in Grand Cayman it was harder to do work because I just wanted to relax on the beach all day.

Do you have any pets? 

I do! I have a dog. His name is Hamilton. He is the cutest dog ever. He’s two and a half, and he weighs four pounds. My kids really wanted a dog and I talked my husband into it. How could you say no to this cute little doggy? 

What’s your favorite movie or TV show?

I’m really excited because Homeland is back. That’s been a favorite series of mine, and it just started up again. I also like Law & Order: SVU. If I have something to do, and I just need something playing in the background while I’m cleaning or while I’m working on something, that’s my go-to. My kids will watch it with me, too, which is great. You can watch it and you can pick up two hours later and still be able to follow along, which is really nice. 

What was your favorite class in high school? 

It was English, which is why I became an English teacher. I had the best senior teacher, Mrs. Munns. She really inspired me to love literature — she was amazing. 

When I started teaching, she reached out to me. She knew that I liked seminars, where you would read something and prepare for a class discussion, so she sent me all of her materials when I became a teacher. 

What is one unique talent you have?

I don’t know if this counts as a talent, but I’m very organized. I like to have a calendar and I like to know what I’m doing. I like organizing events. I like to always have something to do related to preparing an event. 

What accomplishment are you most proud of? 

From a professional standpoint, I am most proud of becoming the principal of the high school that I went to and loved. I thought that it was very powerful and the time that I spent there, as both a student and the principal, really meant a lot to me. From a personal standpoint, I would say my children. They’re really great. I have a nine, almost ten, year old and a fourteen year old. So, I’ll have a high schooler next year. I hope I survive!

If you could time travel, which period in history would you visit? 

This is really hard because I have a bunch of things that I think I would like to do, but I think it would be really interesting to see how my grandparents lived — the time from when they were kids up until the time when they met one another. It would be such a difference to how we live today and just give perspective because I know that they worked really hard to get what they had. I would be really interested to see what it took and how they survived when things were in a different time. 

I was really close with my grandmother on my mother’s side. My grandfather died when I was young, and I just remember the stories that she would tell about him. I always thought that it would be really cool if I had an opportunity to experience the same things that he did. 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

“To be yourself,” and I know that sounds cliche. I am a really upbeat person, and I think that as you get further up in leadership roles that there are certain expectations as to how you present yourself. If you were to talk to people from when I was a teacher to when I was a principal to when I was an assistant superintendent, they would all say that I stayed the same. That’s something that I’m proud of — staying true to who I am.