From being the principal of an elementary school to now the principal of the high school, Amber Hawk has done it all. She has a well-rounded educational background from a multitude of different grade levels, a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, a Master of Education in educational leadership, and a superintendent certification. Spanning over three different schools and multiple years in education, Hawk brings much to the table as she has stepped into the role of LCMHS principal this school year.
Not only was she a full-time student at one time, but a mother of seven. Despite the many challenges, Hawk still found time to be an attentive mother and wife while getting her master’s degree. Her greatest accomplishment to this day is getting a 4.0 in her master’s degree while balancing her work, personal, and school lives.
“I would work all day, take care of normal household things, spend time with my husband and kids, work on our business things, stay up late to read and do homework, get little sleep, and then do it all over again the next day,” Hawk said. “When I walked across that stage, I knew that I was opening myself up to new opportunities to make a difference in the world of education, setting an example for my children that hard work pays off, and proving to myself that I could do hard things.”
Hawk has many personal and professional goals she would like to to achieve this school year, including both short and long term ones.
“I would say that the phrase I’m using is ‘Bell to Bell and No cell,'” Hawk said. “I know that students think that the days can feel long, but really, we have a limited amount of time to teach students lots of information. It’s my goal that we would all focus on using every minute possible to teach and learn what we are supposed to. Because I want us to stay focused on learning, I’ve also asked that we take away the distraction of cell phones in the classroom. If we can get students to temporarily stop paying attention to all the ESPN, Snapchat, TikTok, notifications, and focus on what teachers are sharing with them, we will not only equip our students for the future but also make the most of the time we have with them today.”
Hawk said she wants to hear from students, staff, and community members by working together and having conversations with heart. She wants to push students to not only be college ready, but life ready. She wants to create an exciting and safe high school experience for everyone.
“One of my mottos is, ‘Work hard. Play hard,’” Hawk said. “I love my job and the work that I get to do. I try to give it 110%, but when I’m not working, I’m trying to give that 110% as well. There’s too much to enjoy about life to just passively let our days go by.”
Hawk is a fan of music and has implemented that love into her daily principal duties. She has begun including a song of the day after the morning announcements.
“My playlist is so varied,” Hawk said. “I love discovering new songs and new artists, I wanted it to be something that felt like me and added something positive to the day and I thought it would be a fun conversation starter with students.”
Not only does Hawk have an immersive work life, but an equally exciting home life. She has hiked in places like Machu Picchu in Peru and Arches National Park in Utah. She has gone skiing in New Mexico, has built water wells in Ecuador, worked in orphanages in Mexico, gone snorkeling in Hawaii, and much more.
“I can’t do those kind of awesome things every day, but I believe we all can find things to enjoy about our normal, every day lives as well,” Hawk said. “I look for the ways to to bring joy to the day, and sometimes that’s just a simple conversation with a teenager while I’m doing lunch duty.”
Hawk said she is looking forward to this school year and she loves getting to work with teenagers because it is such a fun time in their lives.
“There are so many decisions that are made in these years, and I love the thought that I get to be part of a team of people who help students get ready for what’s next in life while helping them have a great high school experience,” Hawk said. “I also am really excited about the opportunity to remind students to think through their decisions and consider what is wise.”
According to Hawk, the LCMHS students and staff are all in this together.
“This is OUR school,” Hawk said. “Life is all about relationships, so any kind of empowerment or motivation will happen from me knowing, hearing from, and listening to staff and students. I just hope to lead well and keep our eyes focused on graduating future ready students. If we all do out part every day, I believe that we can create a place where high school students enjoy not only learning and staff enjoy their work, and we can make a difference not just today but in the future.”
