After serving eight years in the Hopkins School District, Ms. Patty Awsumb, Principal, will be leaving the district next year.

Next fall, Awsumb will step into the role of principal at Fridley High School. She will be taking over for the current Fridley High School principal, Dr. Renee Van Gorp, who will retire when the current school year is finished.

Although Awsumb has spent many years at HHS, she is excited to work closer to home and for the opportunity to challenge herself in a familiar environment.

“Fridley is where I started my administrative career as a dean. I absolutely loved it,” Awsumb said.

While she was excited to hear about an opening at Fridley this year, it was not a position she had been actively seeking.

“If Fridley hadn’t had the opportunity, I wouldn’t have even thought about the job. I had gotten a call from a friend who used to work there and told me about the job, and it intrigued me,” Awsumb said. “I will always put myself in situations where I have a lot of growing and learning to do in order to challenge myself.”

One of Awsumb’s favorite aspects of HHS has been the relationships she has built with the students.

“I will miss the kids, hands down. [The students] are phenomenal. The staff and community are absolutely fantastic, but I come here for the students. I always try to do what’s best for [students]. I always tell people that I make the same decisions for [the students] that I would make for my own kids,” Awsumb said.

Though Awsumb has no part in choosing the next principal, she hopes that her replacement will take the time to understand the students and community of HHS before doing anything else.

“[I hope my successor will] try to spend as much time with the students, and staff, as possible,” Awsumb said. “Just listen and really understand the culture before doing anything to change it.”