Q: What is your role at South?
A: This is my 25th year here. I have been here since the building opened day one back in 2001, so I’ve held a lot of roles here at South. I was a business teacher for nine years, and then I was a dean for eight years. Then I was the assistant principal overseeing attendance and discipline and building operations for four years. I was the associate principal for curriculum instruction for a year, and this is now my third year as a principal.
Q: What do you think was your most impactful role?
A: Wow, that’s a good question. I don’t know if I can pick any of the roles and say I was more impactful than others, only because [in] each role there was a way to make an impact. They just look a little different in each role. But to say that one was more impactful than the other, I don’t think I can do that.
Q: Do you enjoy this [position] more than your previous ones?
A: I take this responsibility very seriously. You know, this has been my home for 25 years, and I care very deeply about this building, about my students, about our staff. There is a lot of responsibility that goes along with that to make sure that we are moving in the right direction and doing the right things, but I take great pride in it as well.
Q: What do you love about your job?
A: I don’t know that it’s so much about being the principal in terms of the title. It’s just the ability to establish so many different relationships across the building with students, with staff, with families, with coaches. I mean, across the board, there’s so many different ways to affect [and] support our building versus a singular focus. I think all of those things combine taking all of those strengths, all of those talents, bringing it all together to see what our building is and what our culture is. That’s the really cool part.
Q: What are some struggles you face at South?
A: Time. That’s probably the biggest struggle. It is trying to find the time to fit in all the things that you want to, that are important, because sometimes you get pulled in so many different directions that you don’t get to spend as much time doing some of the other things that you would like to. So to me, that’s the biggest thing.
Q: Are [there things you would like to do] outside of school, or are there little school details that you don’t have time for?
A: I sometimes like to be in the hallways. I like to say hello, [and] I like to be around the building. Sometimes I get caught up in meetings on a given day, and I don’t get to do that as much. [I sometimes don’t get to spend time in the classroom as much as I would like because other responsibilities take that time. It’s just about trying to find that balance. And sometimes there’s just nothing you can do about it, but on the days when I have that ability, it’s [about] making sure that it’s a priority as well.
Q: How have some of the community, staff, and students changed over the time you’ve been here?
A: I think I have the benefit of being here from day one. And honestly, when we first opened, we didn’t really have an identity yet. It was a brand new school, the second high school in the district. In terms of what it meant to be a Plainfield South High School student, what it meant to be a Cougar, we didn’t really know that yet. So that evolution took some time. And over time, we have built. When you look at [the quotes on our] pillars in the hallway, it’s very true. We have built that pride, we have built that unity. We’ve been through some things that have built that resiliency. And then constantly focusing on that learning aspect, that’s what we’re here for. Not only to be academically successful, but [also] growing and learning as a person so that when you walk out these doors, not only are you prepared for whatever you want to do in the future, but also be a possible impactful citizen in our society as well.
Q: Outside of school, what do you like to do in your spare time?
A: I love spending time with my family and friends, as a lot of us do. I have a Peloton, and I definitely enjoy that. It’s kind of a stress relief at times. I like to read. Now that it’s football season, I am a huge football fan, so college football, NFL football, you’ll find me doing that on the weekends for sure.
Q: Do you have a family tradition you love? Why do you love it?
A: We actually have several family traditions. I think they’ve changed over the years, but the one tradition that stays the same is Thanksgiving. We always go to my parents’ house. My dad has since passed, but my mom has kept up the tradition. Then we eat, and then at night, we break out the leftovers, we play games, and stay overnight. That’s cool. And we’ve been doing that since I was born.
Q: What’s your favorite [Thanksgiving] dish?
A: This is kind of my new tradition. My dad was 100% Polish, and he would make this incredible sausage and sauerkraut for all the holidays. When he passed, I took over the tradition of making it every year. It has taken me a while to get it down, but I think I’ve almost perfected it. I’ve never had something like that. It’s an acquired taste, I’d say, but it’s pretty good.
Q: What is your favorite movie and why?
A: I think my favorite [is] “Remember the Titans”. [I enjoy] the message behind that movie, and I’m a huge sports fan as well. Watching a group of individuals who weren’t given a chance to do a whole lot of anything, and to come through and do what they did, it’s pretty impressive.
Q: Has the slogan always been the same as it is today?
A: No. I really brought [that] to the forefront when I moved into the principal’s position because I thought about all of those things always [being] a part of who we are. I don’t think we celebrated it as much or made it a visible, tangible thing that we as a community see all the time. There’s been lots of different sayings over the years, but for me, in my experience here, that is who we are. I think it was important to make sure that [it] was now visible. So that was one of the things that I kind of focused on.
