As the end of her first year as Beechwood Elementary’s assistant principal comes to a close, Alicia Wittmer looks forward to looking back on the the progress that her students have made.
“I always say that I wanted to be an assistant principal because during my time a classroom teacher, I got to celebrate my 25 students every day. Now I get to celebrate almost 770 kids,” Wittmer says. “Even things that aren’t going on paper or aren’t a test you’re going to take: We’re going to celebrate that and be proud of it.”
When she received her principal certification from Northern Kentucky University (NKU), Wittmer received an offer for her current job at Beechwood, a position she holds while completing her EdD in educational leadership. Before becoming a principal, she had been teaching for nine years, fulfilling a dream she’d had since first grade.
Wittmer studied teaching as an undergraduate at Western Kentucky University, but moved to northern Kentucky from Bowling Green to be closer to home, eventually working for Fort Thomas Independent Schools. When she felt called to pursue her doctoral degree and advance her career, the support of Dr. Brandelyn Tosolt convinced Wittmer that NKU was right for her.
“During my time a classroom teacher, I got to celebrate my 25 students every day. Now I get to celebrate almost 770 kids."
“When I met with Dr. Tosolt, she mapped out all of my options for me,” Wittmer says. “And I always circled back to NKU. The university is so welcoming and supportive. People here are always willing to bend over backward to answer questions and do whatever it takes to help you.”
As a student, Wittmer credits Dr. Ginger Blackwell and Dr. James Allen for making a major impact in the classroom.
“I already knew Ginger through my connections in the teaching world, but she continues to be a go-to person for me if I have questions about anything,” says Wittmer. “I just ran into her the other day. She won an award and I happened to be at that dinner. She’s also serving on the committee for my dissertation now.”
For Wittmer, the greatest reward in her current line of work is seeing growth in her students.
“I get to see kids from where they start the year to where they end,” she says. “That means I’m working with students through some hard parts of the year, and there are some good and bad choices made. Even if we’re having hard conversations, we’re still able to celebrate the successes.”
