Administrative Services
Celebrating the
2024 Pens MVPs
Presented by the
AIU and Grable Foundation
Welcome to the Pens Most Valuable Principals Hall of Fame! Come back each week this fall for a fresh Q&A with one of our most recent Pens MVPs.
In 2024, each of these 15 regional principals were honored at a Pens game, received a Pens prize pack, customized jersey, and a $1,000 donation to their school for a project of their choosing.
Stay tuned for details on the nomination process for the 2025 Class of Pittsburgh Penguins MVPs!
2024 Honorees
Dr. Deidra Stepko
Chartiers Valley SD
Dr. Doug Szokoly
Cornell SD
Jennifer Cavalancia
Deer Lakes SD
Robert Childs
Nikole Laubham
Robert Reese
Diocese of Pittsburgh
Cory Sakolsky
Dr. Stan Whiteman
Highlands SD
Dr. Gina Mahouski
Mt. Lebanon SD
Dr. Jamie Eimiller
North Allegheny SD
Nicole Smith
Northgate SD
Dr. Deborah Riccobelli
Quaker Valley SD
Jeff Rojik
Shaler Area SD
Dr. Kevin Maurer
South Fayette Township SD
Dr. Tim Wagner
Upper St. Clair SD
This week’s featured Q&A is with Dr. Deborah Riccobelli, principal of Quaker Valley High School.
What is something positive that you want others to know about your school?
Dr. Riccobelli: Quaker Valley High School is a fantastic place for learning and growth, with a strong commitment to excellence that everyone in our community strives to achieve for our students. The school fosters a close-knit community where the relationships between students, teachers, and staff are highly valued, creating a supportive and collaborative environment. Our small size allows for more personalized attention and authentic connections, instilling a deep sense of belonging and making every member feel like a part of our school family. We focus on personalized and self-directed educational experiences that cater to each student’s unique strengths, interests, learning styles, and aspirations, preparing them for learning, work, and life.
What do you love about being a principal?
Dr. Riccobelli: Being a high school principal is an incredibly rewarding experience that I love for many reasons. As an educational leader, I am privileged to collaborate with our dedicated team in shaping the future of our school. Each day presents an opportunity to create a positive and dynamic learning environment and significantly impact our students’ lives. My passion lies in building meaningful relationships with students, staff, families, and the community, fostering a supportive and collaborative atmosphere that is the heart of our school. I am inspired and motivated by witnessing students’ growth and achievements, being part of the team guiding them through challenges, and celebrating their successes. I find great joy in being a principal.
In your opinion, what is the future of education?
Dr. Riccobelli: I’m excited about the future of education, which continues to emphasize the need for learners to be flexible, creative, adaptive, self-directed, tech and AI-ready, collaborative, and innovative communicators and problem-solvers to thrive in our complex world. Schools will continue focusing on personalized, blended, and authentic learning opportunities and leveraging technology to equip our students with essential skills for the workforce. Other key trends include helping youth develop emotional intelligence and fostering positive emotional and physical well-being, being inclusive and responsive to diverse needs, emphasizing sustainable practices to combat global challenges, and preparing empowered citizens to navigate and shape the world.
This week’s featured Q&A is with Nicole Smith, principal of Northgate High School.
What is something positive that you want others to know about your school?
Smith: Northgate is a district that is not often recognized by name because it is small in size, but it is mighty in its unique talents and capabilities. It is a place where the faculty focuses on all aspects of the school experience for students and where people start and finish their careers. Northgate is a community that values passion, creativity, personal connection, and students first and foremost. We have a diverse student population and we pride ourselves on our ability to help students find a future path that is not only academically rewarding but personally enriching.
What do you love about being a principal?
Smith: Students. I love being around students. I miss teaching because being a principal is one step further removed from being with students. However, as the principal I have the flexibility to choose how and when I get to be around the students. I can mentor students who are struggling, I can decide to go into the gym and lose at a game of basketball, or I can go into a classroom and learn alongside a group of scholars. I love that I get a bunch of different opportunities to interact with the students.
In your opinion, what is the future of education?
Smith: The future of education looks very personalized, fluid, and skills-based. The workforce is different than it was even two years ago, and it changes so rapidly that I don’t think we can put the future of education into a certain box or give it a certain definition. I remember when one of my students told me that he had his own business. He told me that he buys shoes, wears them, takes pictures wearing the shoes, and then resells them for a profit. I was flabbergasted. You know what? It was a real business and he made real money. We need a system that can prepare students for careers that we can’t even believe are real. The only way to be ready for that is to teach students skills that are dynamic and capable of transcending current titles.
This week’s featured Q&A is with Dr. Deidra Stepko, principal of Chartiers Valley Primary School in the Chartiers Valley School District.
What is something positive that you want others to know about your school?
Dr. Stepko: Our school community is the best! All of the adults care deeply for our students and are committed to ensuring each child reaches their full potential. Our building focus is on equity and excellence. As a primary school, we are not only the foundation for the basics of academics, but also for instilling a love of school and lifelong learning.
What do you love about being a principal?
Dr. Stepko: As someone who absolutely loved being a teacher, it was a very difficult decision for me to leave the classroom. However, it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with being a principal. As a principal, I still get to work directly with students, so I can affect their academic success and their futures. I also get to work closely with teachers and the families of students to help build and strengthen the partnerships that positively impact student success. Greeting students every morning is the absolute best part of my day. I love making sure that each child feels welcomed and excited to embark on their learning journey!
In your opinion, what is the future of education?
Dr. Stepko: I believe that the future of education is going to rely on relationships. As learning shifts to be more personalized and competency-based, and teachers shift their roles from being sources of information to facilitators of learning, understanding each other as individuals and building interpersonal relationships will become increasingly important.
This week’s featured Q&A is with Dr. Tim Wagner, principal of Upper St. Clair High School.
What is something positive that you want others to know about your school?
Dr. Wagner: Upper St. Clair High School has three arched entrances — one for academics, one for the arts, and one for athletics. We believe that these three areas interact and rely on one another in important ways. Our school community also believes that students should be supported in all aspects of their academic, artistic, and athletic lives. When young people find engaging and meaningful ways to be involved in school, healthy development ensues.
What do you love about being a principal?
Dr. Wagner: As a principal, I have the unique opportunity to interact with individual students on a daily basis, but also to consider programs and systems that influence nearly 1,400 students and staff members. From celebrating individual accomplishments to considering new courses and programs that elevate our entire organization, I am proud to spend my professional life with the students, families, and staff at Upper St. Clair High School.
In your opinion, what is the future of education?
Dr. Wagner: Public education has long been a mechanism for sustaining our democracy. The critical skills and knowledge that students acquire through a positive school experience will always be invaluable. While the ways that teachers deliver content or assess growth & mastery may change over time, particularly as a result of technological advancements, the fundamental need for cognitive development to happen through guided inquiry and social interaction must always characterize our schools — and I believe in the future it will. I’m excited to see how our schools will continue to serve as a foundational support for our country.
Our first featured Q&A is with Dr. Gina Mahouski, principal of Andrew Mellon Middle School in the Mt. Lebanon School District.
What is something positive that you want others to know about your school?
Dr. Mahouski: We pride ourselves on fostering a vibrant and inclusive learning environment where every student is valued and empowered to reach their full potential. Our dedicated team of educators goes above and beyond to create engaging and innovative lessons that spark curiosity and ignite a passion for learning in our students. Our ‘Mellon Mindset’ PBIS program has created a culture of leadership, engagement, belonging, and ownership and has brought our school community together in a positive way. At Mellon, we believe that every child has the ability to succeed, and we are committed to providing them with the tools and resources they need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
What do you love about being a principal?
Dr. Mahouski: Watching students grow and succeed academically, socially, and emotionally is one of the most fulfilling aspects of the job. I also think being a principal in a middle school is the hidden gem of all principal positions because students are still kids when they arrive and then progressively gain their independence as they move through each grade. It’s a really fun age to work with because there are so many opportunities to help students grow.
In your opinion, what is the future of education?
Dr. Mahouski: I do not foresee the foundation of education changing, as we will always make educational decisions with the best interest of the students at heart. However, I feel that the integration of innovative digital tools, such as artificial intelligence, will impact how learning occurs. I believe that learning will continue to grow to be more flexible to accommodate diverse learning styles and that the need for lifelong learning will become increasingly important with a greater emphasis on cross-cultural competence.
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