Penny Myers, a former assistant principal at Robinson Secondary School, will be trading in her Rams jersey for Key Patriots' gear as she begins her first year as principal at Key Middle School in Springfield.
A graduate of Marshall High School, Myers attended the University of Virginia for her undergraduate degree in Spanish and then went on to earn her masters degree in Spanish and education from Virginia Tech.
"I enrolled in Teach For America, which is a program that recruits college graduates that were not education majors to teach in inner city and rural areas," said Myers, who was born in Charleston, W.V., but grew up in Fairfax County.
"I did my student teaching in L.A. and Houston for two years," she said. "The program was kind of like the Peace Corps but you're paid and you receive your license at the end of it."
MYERS WAS an assistant principal at Robinson for two years after working as a Lead Fairfax intern at Herndon High School.
"Key is a perfect fit for me," she said of her new home. "I'm really excited to be able to use my Spanish-speaking skills every day."
With family members spread out between Fairfax County and the Shenandoah Valley, Myers said she enjoys riding her Harley Sportster motorcycle with her dad and brother as a way to relax.
Looking ahead to the new school year, Myers said she's hoping to keep her school together in the midst of a long and intense renovation project, scheduled for completion in 2008.
"Right now, this is where I want to be," Myers said. "I love working with students. One of the gifts of this job is dealing with students every single day and as much as the work we do is tough, the kids have a funny side that keeps the focus where it needs to be."