Leah Pietraszewski walks into her first period class, but doesn’t know where to sit. Having just started a new public high school after going to private school for years, she doesn’t know many of the people here. As the bell rings she takes a seat in the back corner hoping that she will soon find a group of people that she can call her friends.

Last year, the previous Assistant Principal at the Freshman Campus, Terry Fitzgibbons, retired, and this year Pietraszewski is taking over this role.

“I hated high school,” Pietraszewski says, “hated high school. I went to a private grade school, first through eighth grade, and then I switched to a public high school. And for me, personally, it was a really hard adjustment.”

Pietraszewski continued to say that she found it difficult to find a consistent group of friends to help her adjust, so for most of high school she felt like an outsider. Despite her experience, she wants to make sure that students don’t have to go through the same experiences.

“I tell kids,” Pietraszewski says, “I’m here to make their lives better because I remember how awful it was.”
After high school Pietraszewski found herself taking on more leadership and organizational roles in college, such as in the National Residence Hall Association and in student government. However, she had a more difficult time figuring out what her purpose was within her career.

“I decided to be a family and consumer sciences major in the career and technology ed world,” Pietraszewski says, “and I loved it. It was my niche.”

After going through five different majors, she made this decision. Now that she had found what she loved doing, it made it easier for her to move forward with her career teaching in three districts before moving to an admin role where she is now, at the Freshman Campus.

“I only had at most 125 kids in front of me,” Pietraszewski says, “and I loved them for who they were. I thought I’ve always kind of known I want to have it make more of a difference, and I want to expand my reach of how many kids can I help.”

Since she has taught for 11 years, Pietraszewski believes that she has enough in the classroom experience to be an effective leader for both staff and students at the Freshman Campus.

Pietraszewski is a people person. She wants to love and be loved by every student at the Freshman Campus, but because she is in a disciplinary role, she understands that this is not the case. However, she is glad that the admin and other staff are there to support her throughout this transition.

“I was terrified I wouldn’t find that family,” Pietraszewski says, “but I will tell you, this has been the most welcoming district and community I’ve ever met.”

As Pietraszewski packs up her things on the last day of school before winter break, she looks back on the work that she has done this year, and all the help she had along the way. Although she hasn’t been here long, she has found her new family in this community, and she finally feels as though she fits in with the people around her.