Rachelle T. Bourgeois

I attribute my success to my ability to long-range plan and set goals that I consistently work toward achieving. I understand that nothing worthwhile comes easy or quick - you have to run the course and stay committed. Just the doctorate portion alone took me 10 years to complete while working full-time and raising my kids. You have to keep planning and understand that it's not going to be quick, and that's why a lot of people give up, because we live in a society where they want quick, fast, and whatever. But I know that if you stay the course, you will reach your goals. I had a lot of obstacles with my doctorate the last year - I was so frustrated that I almost gave up, and I couldn't believe it because it just took the life out of me. But my husband encouraged me to keep going, and you just have to push through those emotional places and not give up. That perseverance and commitment to long-term planning is what has made me successful.

The best career advice I ever received was from my mentor, who always told me and my teacher colleagues that 'calm is strength,' and it's absolutely true. When you are the leader and you have a lot of angst or you're hyper-sensitive, that's going to project to the students and the staff as well. It works at every level of education. You have to be calm because it's a challenging job with a lot of barriers and roadblocks every day, all day, and there are a lot of moving parts. But when you are calm, that is your strength. For me personally, my motto has always been 'never give up,' because I never have. I've just continued to persevere and set goals for myself throughout my life, and I'm constantly achieving my goals. I always say hashtag winning. These two principles - staying calm under pressure and never giving up - have guided my entire career.

I always tell everyone, but especially women: don't ever put yourself in a box. If you really want to grow and reach your full potential, you can't be too selective. The more selective you are - if you say you want to do something but you're only willing to work in one district, in one grade level, or one level - it just limits your potential. You have to have an open mind and think outside of the box. Don't limit yourself. Have a growth mindset. Understand that if you place those limitations on your dreams, it puts you in a box. I've always been all in with everything I've ever done. When I started applying for assistant principal jobs, I was working in Henrico County as a teacher, and I knew how that district worked and that it takes forever to move up. I wasn't willing to play their game - I was too old at that point in my life. So I started applying in all districts within a one-hour radius of where I live, whatever I was willing to drive. I kept interviewing and not giving up. When I ended up getting the principalship, I had interviewed 13 times. A lot of people just don't have what it takes to keep going and keep pushing and refining, but every time you interview, you know where you need to strengthen, and that's what I did.

The biggest challenge I face right now is student behavior in general and ensuring that all students get what they need - not just academically, but also socially and emotionally. While there are many programs and every school is different, when it comes to students that have extreme needs, like violent behavior, that is definitely an area I've struggled with in my own school. I have a vast background supporting students that have challenges, but there's always a small pocket of students that need more, and there's a lot of resistance within not just my school district, but many districts, in getting those kids where they need to be and determining what their least restrictive environment is and what support they need to be successful. For example, I had a child tear a whole wall down - I mean it, a wall, like metal sheetrock. When districts are allowing students like that to remain in the brick-and-mortar buildings with other students and staff, it makes it extremely hard for administrators to support all stakeholders. We need to ensure that we're doing what's best for all kids, not just one type of kid or a certain type of kid, but all kids, and that means in all things. School districts need better supports to help students with extremely challenging behavior so that we can create safe and effective learning environments for everyone.

The values most important to me in both my personal and professional life are relationships and connections. When you have those relationships and trust, and people know that you are who you say you are - not just in your words, but they're able to see that in your actions and your day-to-day interactions - that speaks volumes. As they say, your word is your name, and it's true. It goes a long way. People are willing to do things that they might not necessarily have done, or you're able to move the processes and the school forward because of that trust and those relationships. Without that foundation, it's really hard - I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's really hard. The relationship is the foundation of everything we do in the school, and also in your personal life. Trust and authentic connections are what allow you to lead effectively and create meaningful change.