Influential Woman · Education

Kelly Capozzoli

Principal, Hillcrest Christian Academy

Pittsburgh, PA

1Award received

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Master's Degree in Athletic Administration Degree Currently taking classes through Liberty University Cert Personal Training Certification Member ACSI (Accreditation for Christian Schools)

Her Story

About Kelly

I'm currently in my 10th year in education, serving as principal of a preschool through 12th grade Christian private school in Pittsburgh. What makes my role unique is that I still teach in the classroom - I instruct honors chemistry and honors physics because I believe it's really important to keep a pulse on how kids are learning and stay connected to what's happening in the classroom. I think it should actually be required that administrators teach at least one class, just to keep with the times and understand what's going on. Before this role, I spent 4 years in North Carolina as an athletic director and assistant principal, and before that, I taught middle and high school science. I'm passionate about connecting with kids and figuring out what makes their brain tick, allowing them to learn in the best environment possible. We're a private school, so providing opportunities for students with learning differences has been a very big blessing and something I take a lot of pride in. I'm very big on knowing every child that walks in the door - knowing all about them, their family, what they like, what they don't like, and being able to recognize if a kid comes off the bus whether they're having a great day or a bad day. With about 210 students ranging from 4-year-olds to 18-year-old seniors, I get to connect with kids of all ages, which is awesome. My day-to-day looks very different because I can be teaching first period and then come down to my office doing paperwork or having kids in here for disciplinary action or talking through things going on in their life. As a Christian private school, it's a very small, tight-knit community that allows for a lot of different hats to be worn throughout the day. I love that about my job because I can still teach and be a principal and still have that passion and love for making kids learn and love education.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Kelly

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to rising above challenges and choosing not to let difficult circumstances break me. I've faced a lot of upward battles - becoming an assistant principal at 26 when people thought I was too young and didn't know anything, then taking on the lead principal role at 31, which was very unheard of. I lost my husband when my son had just turned 2, and at 31, being a widow with a kiddo, I had to figure out what I was going to do, pivot, and start over on my own. That was the biggest battle, but also so rewarding. Through all of that, I've decided to rise above it. I always say that your challenges can also be someone's blessing, and your story can also be what someone needs to hear. Yeah, it's hard right now, but you survived 100% of your worst days, so you can keep going. I also give a lot of credit to my principal or head of school in North Carolina who saw something in me. He said, 'Kelly, I want to make you the assistant principal and the athletic director, let's get you taking some classes,' and that's where it kind of took off. He saw something in me that made me who I am today.

02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I think the biggest challenge since COVID has really been getting kids excited for school. How kids learn now looks different than pre-COVID. A lot of it is, let me hide behind a screen, and that's been the hardest thing. The challenge is allowing opportunity for multi-sensory education, but also still involving technology in a way that is beneficial, but not hindering their learning. Kids are like, I want to get done with an assignment quickly, or how much time do we have left in class? There's a lot more of 'I can get it done in 2 minutes, why do I have to be in school?' Making a classroom exciting and multi-sensory has been very important because not every kid learns the same way now. We saw that in COVID - a lot of kids struggled with the computer, but then there were kids that thrived with the computer. So giving the opportunity for multiple avenues of learning, I think, is the most important thing.

Keep Exploring