Thank you Corsicana!

As I sit on my final night of an amazing vacation I wanted to take time to thank the people of Corsicana for allowing me to serve as principal for the past 6 years. I still remember my first day as principal of Drane Intermediate and my final day as principal of Corsicana High School.

I want to thank Mr. Don Denbow for allowing a 27 year old to be a campus principal. He believed in me and allowed me to attempt to be great! I am eternally grateful!

I want to thank Dr. Diane Frost for always believing in me. She wasn't on the job long before she promoted me to principal of Collins Middle School. I served there two years and she promoted me again as principal of Corsicana High School. Thank you for allowing me to live out my dream of being a high school principal. 

I want to thank all the faculty and staff that worked with me over the last 6 years! We've had some good times! We were together through the highs and lows. Thank you for never giving up! Thank you for listening to my wacky ideas! Thank you for always believing in the great things we can do for our children! You were always champions for children and I appreciate that! 

I want to thank the parents and the wonderful community of Corsicana! I was an outsider and you made me an insider. I was welcomed with open arms my very first day and I felt the same way on the last day. You trusted me with your children and always believed in our approach for educational improvement. Most principals do not enjoy the level of support that I always had in Corsicana! Thank you!

Finally, I would like to thank the students of Corsicana High School! My children! I'm getting emotional just thinking about the fact that I will not see you in the halls next year!  I was blessed to watch most of you grow up from 6th graders to mature young men and women. I still can't believe some of you are driving now. The thing that stands out to me the most is that you never let me down. You were always at your best. Of course some made some bad choices along the way, but we always got through it together. I appreciate that you always showed so much compassion to your fellow students and that you cared about learning. I will miss all of you and always stay in touch via twitter: @herbertoneiljr

Many of you have asked what I will be doing now that I have left Corsicana. I will be the Director of Academics for Life Schools which is headquartered in Lancaster, TX. It is an open enrollment charter school network with 8 campuses. My job is to provide instructional and administrative support to campus leadership. 

I will never forget my time in Corsicana. I learned so much and met so many great people! As I told the students of Corsicana High School: always hold up the light!

Go Tigers!

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