Blessing named Indiana Principal of the Year
KHS administrator attributes win to staff, students, and community
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The best high school principal in Indiana can be found right here in Kokomo. That’s not hyperbole. It’s a fact. Angela Blessing, principal at Kokomo High School, recently was named the Indiana Principal of the Year for 2023.
Blessing was one of 12 principals across the state who were nominated and received the honor of principal of the year for their respective districts in the Indiana Association of School Principals. The 5th District, to which Kokomo Schools belongs, includes Hamilton, Tipton, and Howard counties.
From that selection, Blessing and the other 11 honorees were entered into a statewide round of competition for the honor of being Indiana’s High School Principal of the Year. She was awarded that title last month. But that isn’t the end of the journey. Blessing will attend the National Association of School Principals conference next October, representing Indiana as its top principal for 2023.
“It was a lot more involved than I thought it was going to be, frankly,” said Blessing. “I'm really honored to represent Indiana and Howard County; especially to bring that recognition to Kokomo.”
With any great leader, success is not achieved alone. It takes the entire organization standing with those leaders to make a difference. Blessing is confident that the honor she received is due to the staff, students, and community she serves.
“There are so many people who helped get me to this spot,” said Blessing. “My team is really amazing. I would nominate all of them for Assistant Principal of the Year if I could. All of the principals within Kokomo, and our superintendent, are so supportive.”
When it comes to the students, Blessing knows they are a big part of the award she received. Their performance in the classroom, and later in the community, define her success.
“Legacy matters at Kokomo High School,” said Blessing. “That's been our mantra since I started here nine years ago. What does it mean to be part of Kokomo High School? Who are the great people who have graduated from Kokomo, and what legacy have they left behind? That’s what we want our students to know, and how they're contributing to that legacy.
“I tell people all the time that high school kids, and people in general, want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They want to use that to inspire and to move forward. When kids feel like they're part of something, they're much more willing to work hard for it and to stand for it.”
Blessing feels that “Wildkat Nation” has bought into this philosophy. As a result, graduation rates at Kokomo are up over the past decade. The school also has been able to increase educational options, making it a leader statewide in student success.
“For a mid-size school, we have a lot of options that you would find in any large corporation,” said Blessing. “From the Kokomo Area Career Center to our Advanced Placement courses and college preparatory courses, the focus we have at Kokomo High School is on student success.”
When Blessing and her family located here 11 years ago, both she and her husband were teachers for Kokomo. She started at Bon Air Middle School. When the call came to step into the high school principal’s job, it was important to her that her family was ready for the school to be fully present in their daily lives.
“When I got hired at Kokomo High School, it was for our whole family,” said Blessing. “I really believe that high school principals should be very visible, with their family, at the school. We all go to school here. Mom is your principal. Dad is your teacher and your coach. The question I asked my family was, ‘Are you guys in?’ They were all in. We really bleed Red and Blue.”
“We love Kokomo. We love Kokomo School Corporation. We love this community. We're not from here, but I feel like the community has adopted us. And I really want the rest of the state to see what a great community Kokomo is. If I can do that through this honor, that's the mission.”