Sheila shares her story with us:

I graduated from UMF in May of 1986 with a BS in elementary education and special education with a concentration in learning disabilities.

My current position is Principal of Portland High School. There I support a staff of 80 and 765 students. Prior to my role as Principal, I served as Academic Coordinator for Portland Public Schools from January 2015 – July 2016, and Assistant Principal at Deering High School from 2006 – January 2015.

From 1986 – 2006 I was at Bonny Eagle High School as a Special Education Teacher, district office staff member, Assistant Principal and Principal at Bonny Eagle High School. .

The advice I would give any student graduating today in the field of education is that teaching is extremely rewarding and constantly changing. Be prepared to evolve as an educator and know that your work will not be the same year to year! This can be daunting, no doubt, and exciting at the same time. Be flexible with yourself and know that students are at the center of the work that you do.

There are so many highlights… it is hard to land on one. Here is one that really touched me: about 5 years ago a former student reached out and wanted to meet with me – 8 years after he’d graduated from high school. I met with him and he apologized to me for all of the trouble he felt that he had caused as a student and apologized at how he had treated me back when he was a teenager. His act of kindness was inspiring. My hope for him, is that he can continue to be aware of how his actions affect others and appreciate the connections that he makes with others.