“Cougar Pride. I feel that the staff here takes a lot of pride in their work…the students take a lot of  pride in their classes ( in their academics, sports, clubs, etc.), and families taking pride in their community (PTSA, meeting with teachers, etc.)…” the new Assistant Principal of Operations and Instruction, Mrs. Patricia Hurley, says about her first impression of Sahuaro. It’s been over a month now , but her impression has not changed.

Mrs. Hurley was born and raised right here in Tucson. She graduated from the U of A, and became a science teacher for Mansfeld and then Booth Fickett Middle School. After teaching for several years, she later switched over to teacher-mentoring, becoming a Professional Development Academic Trainer (a person who facilitates training for teachers and administrators across the district) for a total of eight years.

The reason why she decided to become an administrator herself was because she comes from a family full of them. One particular member is her aunt, who was the principal at her elementary school, Gale. With that kind of supportive background,  she has always been encouraged to take on leadership roles. Hurley says that she very much enjoys “impacting a greater group of people” and motivating them.

In coming here to Sahuaro, Mrs. Hurley explains that everyone is incredibly friendly, and that there is “a lot of willingness to help” her whenever she has a question. “The faculty and staff here…they come to work everyday… supporting students and meeting every individual’s need… [and] do what they can to promote success.”

Hurley describes her administration responsibilities in three key roles: keeping the school safe for students and families; provide support for all students; and, ensuring that all Cougars are successful.

“There is always more to strive for… [but so far] that’s all I hope to achieve,” Mrs. Hurley says in response to what she would like to do at Sahuaro. “I’m not ready to implement change… [I’m still] currently collecting the data – looking at our strengths and looking at areas in needed of refinement…then we can focus of using our strengths to improve.”

Mrs. Hurley is always around campus or in her Operations and Instruction Office. After school, she is monitoring the bus bay. If you see her, don’t forget to welcome her as the new and important member in our Cougar family.