Many students have welcomed Mrs. Katrina Lee into our school district since she has taken on the role of a new vice principal in recent weeks. 

Mrs. Lee has been in public education for sixteen years now as a middle school teacher and technology coach in the State College Area School District for twelve years. In the four years leading up to coming to Bellefonte, she worked as the assistant principal of Keystone Central School District. 

Originally from Shippensburg, PA, she has made quite the journey to get to where she is today. 

“I attended Westminster College near Pittsburgh for my undergraduate degree in education and then I moved to the Bellefonte area with my husband when he was in graduate school at Penn State and we stayed in the area to raise our family,” she said. 

Upon her arrival at Bellefonte High, Mrs. Lee was anticipating meeting and growing closer to the students and staff of the school. 

“I was excited when an opportunity to work at Bellefonte High School was available because it is a great district. I have experience working with some of the teachers and administrators from Bellefonte and they always speak highly of the students and staff,” she said. 

One staff member she has grown especially close to is 11th and 12th grade Vice Principal Mr. Stephen Caruso. 

“Mrs. Lee is very dedicated to making our high school a better place for our students. She has several good ideas about how we can improve our school. I’m also excited about having another person helping in administration. This will allow us to get out in the classrooms, hallways, and lunch more often,” he said.  

Despite not being in the district for long, Mrs. Lee has already begun to make an impact on our school. In fact, she stood out amongst other candidates before starting at Bellefonte High. 

“Mrs. Lee’s dedication to being a lifelong learner is what set her apart from other candidates. She spends a lot of time looking at educational research and what other schools are doing that is working, “ Mr. Caruso said. 

When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with friends, family, and her newest addition, a puppy.

“We just got a puppy in early December. His name is Moose and he is a mini Bernedoodle,” she said.

Since Ms. Lee is finishing up her doctoral degree in educational leadership and starting to write her dissertation, she doesn’t have much time for her favorite hobbies. 

“When I do have more time I enjoy reading, going on walks with my family, and exploring new places.This past summer my family went to Legoland in New York, the Corning Glass Museum, and had some adventures along the way because my Google Maps kept taking us through interesting small towns,” she said. 

The student body and staff have already come to admire what Mrs. Lee is bringing to the table and cannot wait to see where she leads our school.