It has been a long journey, but veteran Baldwin-Whitehall educator Denise Wells has been officially promoted to the position of high school assistant principal.
Wells is a Baldwin grad who worked as a teacher at Baldwin for 29 years, primarily as an elementary and middle school teacher in several subject areas. She also served two stints as a high school interim assistant principal before being named a permanent assistant principal last week.
Wells joins Brandon Whitfield and John Saras as the high school moves back to having three assistant principals.
“I am so excited. I think that my patience and my perseverance paid off,” Wells said.
Wells first became interested in becoming a principal after she graduated college. But she had to put her dream aside when she had her family and she started getting involved in many school events, such as student council.
However, after her children graduated and she had more time to herself, Wells went back to school to get her principal certification, acting on the encouragement of her colleagues.
“So I did it and here I am,” Wells said. “I don’t think it should matter how old you are or where you are in your life. It is just about timing.”
With her official role in the staff, Wells hopes to continue helping to improve the school.
“I hope to continue to support my colleagues and the faculty as a whole and be a part of the vision of the high school moving forward,” Wells said.
As the only female high school administrator, Wells hopes to be a role model for girls at Baldwin.
“I want to empower our girls. I think that since I have this role, they can see that girls can do anything, especially the fact that I have been doing this for a long time and I went back to school,” Wells said. “It doesn’t matter what age – you can do this. And I think the fact that I am sitting in a role of authority is a good thing for the girls to see.”
Wells said her position gives her an opportunity to connect with students and better understand them.
“One of my favorite things every day is just walking through the halls and saying ‘hi’ to kids and talking to them,” Wells said. “I think that seeing this group of kids that have grown up – and listening and watching what students do in the classroom – fills my heart.”
Principal Shaun Tomaszewski said he is excited to have Wells as a permanent assistant principal.
“I think that really over the past two years she has proven herself to be able to do the job. She filled in when I went out on paternity leave, and she filled in when Mr. Saras went out on paternity leave,” Tomaszewski said. “I am excited that she finally is going to be able to operate and function as a permanent and full assistant principal, because while she was interim or acting assistant principal, she couldn’t do everything that she can now. … So I am super excited.”
Since Wells has been working in Baldwin-Whitehall for so many years, she feels like all of her hard work and perseverance has paid off.
“I am proud of myself. I think I have set a good example for my own two boys, and they are all proud of me. My husband is proud of me, and my mom is proud of me. It was something that I set out to do a long time ago,” Wells said. “It makes me feel so good and like I can do anything.”
