Over the summer the school experienced turnover in the administration team with Crystal Dovman leaving and the death of Joseph DuBoyce. Needing new leadership for the upcoming school year, the school turned to a familiar face to come back and make a difference. After one year away from the school Jacqueline Lightsey was hired as the 11th grade administrator.
Lightsey had been here in the past so she was an obvious candidate to come fill the empty role. “I was an English teacher, then the English resource teacher, then acting school administrator when Dr. Doran passed away, then last year I was assistant school administrator at Damascus,” Lightsey said.
After hearing about the difficult time the community was going through she says she is happy she can fill a need here. “With the passing of Mr. DuBoyce there was a position where they needed another administrator and I feel like it was good because I already knew a lot of people here. I wish it was under better circumstances but I was happy to come support the community along with a wonderful staff,” Lightsey said.
Lightsey is familiar with the staff from her previous years here, and they know she has skills that can help improve the school. “Mrs. Lightsey is very tech savvy and organized if anyone can help Miss Boldon figure out Google Classroom it’s her,” English department resource teacher Michael Dickel.
Traditionally, administrators start with a class its freshman year and stay with it through senior year, but Lightsey will be joining the junior class in her first year as administrator. Lightsey knows that this will bring challenges as she does not know all of her students yet, but she is prepared to lead them. “I don’t know all the students, but I have a good resource with the other administrators who have been here because we all know all the kids and they can support me, and I think just trying to know any student who comes to see me will help me. It’s a big class but little by little you can get to know everyone,” Lightsey said.
Lightsey has been in the halls often getting to know her new students. “I met her during lunch yesterday, and she seemed nice. I think she will be a good administrator,” junior Hope Rosner said.
Junior year is important as a student. Lightsey says she is excited to work with her students as they go through this critical year, and she hopes to prepare them to have the best future possible. “I am excited to work with juniors as they really begin to look forward to their future because it is a big year where students start to make decisions and it is exciting to watch students as they form who they want to be and it is exciting to be a part of that,” Lightsey said.
Jake Klugerman
Profiles Editor
