Former Assistant Principal of SHS, Principal of Beech Grove High School, Elizabeth Walters takes on her first year of being a principal.

“Becoming a principal is indescribable, you have the initial excitement of looking and feeling like you’re ready,” Walters said.

The transition within this past school year Walters has taken on is very different. Within just a year she went from the given tasks of being an assistant principal to running the whole school.

Walters says that Beech Grove is smaller and it is  an inner city school, but it is very much the family and community feel similar to Southport.

Walters explained that Beech Grove has a very welcoming vibe similar to what SHS has. She feels just as at home and accepted there as she did here at SHS.

Though the transition was exciting for Walters she described the whole experience of moving to her new job as a little daunting.

“Southport was the only place I really knew before Beech Grove, it was my first teaching job here, and 12 years later to pick up and move was exciting,” Walters said.

Though she does miss certain key qualities of SHS a lot of her love has transitioned to a new love for her job, from gaining the new school and new kids to work with Walters says she enjoys the new job very much.

Walters says that there are certain things she misses, though there are a lot harder tasks as a principal it still is not a natural transition we go through as people. From being assistant principal Walters says you have more of set tasks you need to accomplish, as to now she is kind of in charge of it all.

Walters says Beech Grove is very similar in a considerable amount of ways from the dual credit opportunities, to the school in general. This helped Walters feel more comfortable in her state of moving.

“As a school we operate really well, their data is very strong in student achievement and preparing kids for life after high school, one of my biggest things is to support these kids,” Walters said.

Though Walters is a new principal she explained she has a lot of long term goals for this school year that she is looking forward to better the school.

“Once a cardinal always a cardinal is always something that is a part of me, but I have come to consider myself as becoming a hornet just as much,” Walters said.

She feels a very big part in both places having spent time in each, and is looking forward to a great school year as a hornet.