From vice principal to being promoted to our first female principal at West High. Annabelle Lee was promoted to be our principal in late August of 2021. Tarek Pichon sat down with Lee and asked about her new position. Lee felt “pretty amazing,” and the feeling was so surreal. Becoming principal was a shock because she figured she would be in this position years from now, and right in front of her it happened in days!! We all knew Lee as the best vice principal. Her smile fills the room with happiness and security. The school district was right to trust and select Lee because she is the best person for this job. She is a strong leader and knows the best direction for West High.

“The minute I stepped on campus with the kids there, I knew I was where I needed to be. I told my family and friends after, I’m never leaving West, I love it here,” Lee states in her interview. She talks so proudly of West High.

Being vice principal gave Lee a chance to see the environment and school from a different perspective. Lee wants to create a good environment for every student and make sure everyone walks the stage when it is their time to graduate. She says, “Being a part of the team is different than leading,” She will be able to lead us to become the best we could be. She also wants to create a comfortable cultural environment so that students feel the Wolf Pack love. The feeling for kids to get excited in the morning or happy to go to school. Before making any changes to Wests High, Lee wants to get back to the environment we had before.

At the high school Lee attended, they had a teaching academy, and it gave her the opportunity to deal with kids, and since then she fell in love with working with kids. She started off as a kindergarten teacher

and made her way up through K-6 and then got to the higher level of becoming a vice principal here at West. She explored the whole spectrum of teaching and dealing with kids. She got to figure out what her best environment was and where she knew she could make the biggest impact on the kids. Lee has been teaching and working with and for kids for 21 years.

Lee has many plans for West High in the future, but she wants to solidify the campus culture first. Lee has been in love with West High since her first steps on campus, she will do amazing things as principal. She is a powerful woman with a beautiful, loving soul and hopeful spirit for our students and campus. West High will be at its best with Lee as our Wolf Pack leader.