As the 2023-24 school year has truly started and school is now in full swing, this year is looking different, from new classes to new teachers and administrators. Franklin has welcomed a new Principal, Dr. Zulema Naegele, and a new Vice Principal, Amy Gervais. Let’s get to know them!
Zulema Naegele
Naegele has had a lot of experience leading up to her current role as principal here at Franklin. She started out as a middle school Spanish teacher in Arizona and credits it as her “best training for future jobs.” She has attended Arizona State University, receiving her Bachelors of Arts in Spanish with a minor in French. Afterwards, she attended Northern Arizona University for a degree in Multicultural and Bilingual Education. More recently, Naegele received her Administrators License at Portland State University and her Doctorate in Educational Leadership with an emphasis on Ethnic Studies at University of Portland.
Naegele has spent the past two years working at Roosevelt High School as a Vice Principal. “I really admire educators, I am one too, but I’m in a different role now,” explains the new principal. Now transitioning to Franklin, she wants to take a fresh look at what needs to improve. A goal she has during her time at Franklin is to recreate Franklin STRONG, making it more relevant and impactful for students, but Naegele’s aspirations for the year do not stop there. She also hopes to work with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students to listen and learn how to better support students and amplify all voices.
During our interview, she spoke to the difficult years that Franklin has had and acknowledged the special attention needed surrounding safety and security. Naegele is working with the district to personally partner with Campus Security Associates (CSAs), as well as other violence prevention team members from the district.
In a conversation with Liz Mahlum, one of Roosevelt’s Vice Principals, Naegele was described as a champion for student success, especially the success of marginalized students. “[Naegele’s] number one priority is how to invite them [students] and their families to the larger community.” Mahlum also called out Naegele as someone with a talent for building connections and bringing people together, emphasizing her high energy, flexibility, and personable attitude. Naegele is also admired for her ability to bring different perspectives to her career roles. Mahlum says when she worked with Naegele, she never felt like she was doing anything by herself and that Naegele is a true team player.
In three words, Naegele describes herself as friendly, resourceful, and a lifelong learner. When not hard at work, she loves traveling, hiking, doing yoga, and sharing meals with family and friends. With her love for travel, she said her dream job, if she wasn’t a principal, would be an ambassador for another country. When she does get to travel, though, she enjoys visiting big cities for their museums and landmarks. She hopes her next big trip is a visit to Mexico City because loves Mexican food, (her favorite dish is chile relleno).
Naegele’s top three values are family, authenticity, and social justice; values I believe she will weave seamlessly into her role as principal. At the end of our interview, she added that she has felt incredibly welcomed and looks forward to getting to know Franklin students and staff and to continue to build community. She encourages students to find something they love, ask questions, and reach out for help when they need it. If you ever pass our new principal in the hall, you can talk about her favorite pizza topping (pineapple), her favorite color (purple), or her favorite accessory (earrings).
Amy Gervais
Gervais has worked as a school counselor all of her career and spent the past school year in a leadership role supporting all Portland Public Schools (PPS) counselors. “I’ve learned a lot of both policy and practices that we have in place that support students and maybe things that we have in place that are barriers for students,” explains Gervais. “I think having that kind of perspective of having seen the way all these different high schools function is really helpful for this job and [helps make a vision] for how to make Franklin great for all of our students.”
This year, her goals are to continue to build relationships and make an even more positive school climate. “I am very motivated to see students succeed,” adds Gervais. “I want students to [not just] graduate, but graduate with a post-high school plan that they are excited about.”
Similar to Naegele, school safety is also one of her priorities. “I visited Franklin a few times last year during times of tragedy, and I would love to never have to experience another student death at Franklin High School.” Gervais continues this point asking, “if we can make sure that we provide the right supports for students, we have a lot of caring adults in this building, so how can we get students connected to those adults?”
Gervais spoke of having a hard high school experience, which motivates her towards wanting to be a really supportive adult for students. She explains, “I want everyone to have opportunity and experience opportunity out of their time at Franklin … I would love to hear and amplify their [students’] voices.”
After high school, Gervais started at Lane Community College studying graphic design and later attended University of Oregon for two years. She then transferred to Southern Oregon University, receiving her Bachelors of Science and Political Science. University of Oregon was next, where she completed a year of law school, but realized it was not the right path for her. At Oregon State University she earned her Masters in School Counseling and, more recently, went to Portland State University for her Principal License.
Gervais says, “I really understand that not everyone’s career pathway is straight, mine was really not straight, but I think those experiences helped me relate to students who weren’t necessarily or aren’t necessarily perfect students or have struggled in high school and who maybe aren’t sure or feel confident in their pathway.”
In our interview, she added how she wants to keep supporting the community through the effects of previous challenging years. “I think the hard part about trauma is that it’s often cumulative… individual losses that have happened at Franklin have added to those experiences in our community. Franklin in particular has experienced community violence at a really personal level and substance use at a really severe level. It takes a supportive community to meet the needs of students and staff and it’s making sure that people’s needs are met.”
Franklin School Counselor Katie McLaughlin explains, “Amy approaches difficult situations with transparency and sincere care for the people and systems she supports.” Gervais describes herself as awkward, a self-admitted nerd, and nurturing, while McLaughlin describes her as sincere, warm, and optimistic. Her values are kindness, opportunity, and realness (defining honesty, integrity, and authenticity as a part of realness).
When she’s not at school, she loves crafts (like making homemade earrings to match with her outfits), going on walks with her dog, and spending time with family. If she wasn’t a vice principal, she would be a chef! You can also find Gervais getting creative and trying new things with the pizza oven at her house, or you can find her visiting any beach or ocean.
While our admin team at Franklin is incredibly busy, Gervais stressed how her first priority is always building relationships and that her door is always open to students. While building relationships, she will be focusing on listening to students to find ways to improve and better meet the needs of all students.
Both Franklin’s new and returning admin center compassion, lifting student voices, and we are sure to feel the effects of such a powerhouse team this school year.
