Abigail Baughns

I've been in education for 13 years, and it's been an incredible journey. I always wanted to be a teacher, so I went to college to pursue that dream. As soon as I graduated, I started as a paraprofessional in the classroom, and when a teacher position opened up, I was moved into the teaching role. I taught grades K through 8 and loved every moment of it. But I knew I wanted to do a little bit more in education, so I started looking at positions outside the classroom. I was looking for a bigger impact in education, and that's how I really ended up becoming a principal. Now, as the principal of a K-12 school with 120 students, my days are filled with holding advisory meetings with different stakeholders for our school, meeting with students and teachers, coaching and modeling lessons with teachers, and coaching teachers in their classrooms. I'm responsible for maintaining the overall well-being of the school. My most notable professional achievement so far has been becoming a principal of a K-12 school. What inspired me to get into this field were the really amazing teachers I had when I was growing up throughout school. I always knew I wanted to make an impact on someone else's life and be the difference in their life. That led me to teaching because no day is the same, and you never know who you're going to come into contact with.