During my 4th week of school at Toki, one of the teachers asked me, "Why did you want to be a principal at Toki Middle School?"

I am intrigued by the diversity of the school, the experienced staff and the opportunity for me to grow professionally. Since entering the field of education, I have been a risk taker, someone who loves to laugh and learn, and enjoys children.

Being a principal you need to meet the constantly changing needs of the student body and those that support their learning community. The principalship is a big responsibility.

At my first meeting with new staff, I stated that I would spend my first year as a new principal following my three "L's": listen, learn and lead.

I spent the summer learning about who Toki is by meeting parents and staff, looking at school data and reading about the history of the school. I discovered a very talented staff that is committed to a positive learning environment. As with most organizations, the best history lessons originate from staff sharing stories and from observing the day-to-day interactions.

In my observations, I recognize strength in our diverse student body, welcome the challenge of its complexity and am aware of the importance of keeping a sense of humor as we grow and learn about each other.

In addition, the community support is wonderful and I am amazed at the terrific partnerships our school has with MSCR, Urban League, and Centro Hispano. Our students are fortunate to have such dedicated staff to support them not only during their school day, but also after school.

I am proud to be the principal of Toki Middle School. This job requires someone who will be a role model, inspire a shared vision, question the status quo, empower staff and celebrate success. I will continue to listen, learn and lead with Toki pride.