As Pitman is in the process of assimilating its new class of freshman into the rest of the student body, it is also accepting a new principal.

Angela Freeman is now tasked with running the school to its peak performance, ensuring that school is effective for as many students as possible, and giving each student role models that will help mold their views on respect and character.

From the snippets of conversation and interaction I have shared with her I am positive that she will try her absolute hardest to guarantee that each goal will be attempted until success or exhaustion. I have this viewpoint because of the way Freeman carries herself and organizes her surroundings.

When first walking into her office, I wasn’t sure what I would find. I had in my mind a decently size pile of paperwork stacked high on her desk while calendars marking different dates and events were skewed around. Her office instead is neat and clutter free with small splashes of inspiration and family photos to bring encouragement and enthusiasm.

It’s a hopeful picture that shows that not every figure with authority falls into the stereotype of cluttered symmetry.

After the shock of the office, the next thing anyone would notice about Freeman is her kindness that is contagious. Never will you get the sense that she finds you to be a burden or a chore to talk to but a welcomed input. It’s the kind of friendliness that causes you to act in the same manner without realizing it until you speak to someone else who doesn’t radiate the same vibe.

But at the end of the day appearances don’t matter unless they are backed up with reasons to care about the performance of the individual. Thankfully, Principal Freeman isn’t the gilded character people become accustomed to in daily life. To the contrary she cares about her students.

“My number one goal, honestly, is to connect with students and people. I feel that building relationships with people is really important.”

Every day she walks around campus ensuring that the students are having a good day and if not, providing a reason for it to be a better one before she leaves.

A simple “Hi, how’s it going?” or “How’s your day?” from Mrs. Freeman goes a long way for a large amount of students who only need one encouraging comment to gain the energy to utter them to someone else.

As well as being a kind figure walking around campus, her office door is always open and inviting for anyone who wants a minute of her time unless she is already preoccupied with someone else.

The necessity of being a figure who takes action with students are cares how they are faring is also at the top of the list of priorities for Principal Freeman.

She wants to get to know her students. What are their names? What are their interests? What are they passionate about?

Having that figure as a safety net who is constantly there allows each student to be a better version of themselves if they truly care. Making the realization that you can strive to be exceptional only happens if you see someone who makes you want to be that way.

There aren’t going to be any splashy changes to Pitman in Freeman’s first year, only small tweaks that need to be made that at the same time need a certain amount of supervision. It’s never a good idea to change an entity drastically too quickly and many times drastic changes don’t have to be made. So for those with quick triggers who want change for the sake of change, it isn’t coming anytime soon.

For anyone who wants to find out for themselves if the way I have described Mrs. Freeman is true or for those who believe me to be overly publicizing, she won’t mind if you were to find out for yourself.