Erica Karoly, Assistant Principal

"I am extremely excited to be a part of the Mustang family and look forward to helping support our community throughout the school year. 

After nearly ten years in another career, I always felt as though something were missing — I never felt fulfilled. My husband is an educator, and one day we were listening to a TED Talk by Rita Pierson, in which she spoke about every child needing a champion. It was in that emotional moment that I discovered exactly what was missing. From then on, my goal — as both an educator and a leader — has been to make connections, encourage students to keep going and keep trying, and to inspire excellence.

The level of care and support we provide to our students and their families has kept me passionate about education. It's about working with a student until that math problem finally clicks, or helping them find the one book that sparks a love of reading. It's about connecting with students and learning about their interests outside the classroom. And it's about connecting with families and the community, so that we can all come together to support a child's education.

Every year, I hope our students and their families feel valued and cared for. I hope that every time our community walks through our office doors, they know we have our students best interests at heart. Mainly, I hope visitors and families know we're a team — that we want to work with them to help their child thrive.

Outside of academics, I believe one of the most important things a school can provide a child is a safe space to explore new activities — whether that's learning a new sport, picking up a skill or hobby, or simply finding the encouragement to try something unfamiliar. That sense of safety to learn and grow can shape a child for the rest of their life.

I have so many favorite memories from my school years that have helped me grow into who I am today — being in elementary school plays, performing with the Marching Band, and working on the journalism team in high school. I am also lucky to still stay in touch with the teachers who inspired me to become an educator.

A Fun Fact About Me: I love music! Before transitioning into education, I was a Radio DJ in Pennsylvania and the lead singer in a band."