Morro Bay High School welcomed Stephanie Hardgrave as a new Assistant Principal for the 2020-2021 school year after Mrs. Contreras took a job as the principal at Templeton Middle School. Mrs. Hardgrave decided to make the switch to MBHS because “I knew I wanted to take the next step in my career…[and] do work that has a continued positive effect on even more students and that supports creating a more equitable educational system and world.” She added, “I love working at MBHS, it has been a smooth transition and everyone has been amazing. I am really happy that I took the leap, it was not easy to leave classroom teaching because I am really passionate about teaching and teaching US History. I love working with students every day and supporting kids academically and socially!”
While this year has presented new problems for both students and staff, Mrs. Hardgrave feels that “right now, it’s like I have an office job and that is such a different day than I am used to where I would normally be interacting with students and teachers all day. I am really social and love to be moving and talking all day long. Luckily, MBHS has the best office staff and I am loving learning so many new things.”
Despite the setbacks, Mrs. Hardgrave is set on helping students with “mental health and [making] social services even stronger. I have always incorporated this into my classroom and advocated for this at the schools I have worked in. Now, I think we are seeing that providing social-emotional support and basic needs to students and families isn’t an extra thing we do but at the core of who we are and what schools provide in our communities.”
Before coming to MBHS, Mrs. Hardgrave had a long resume as a teacher. She started off teaching in Seattle, where she worked in a middle school. Mrs. Hardgrave added “I have primarily taught History, with a little Language Arts when I first moved to California. Before coming to MBHS, I was teaching at Judkins [Middle School] in Pismo. I have worked in a few schools in Lucia Mar, but as a teacher and as a TOSA [Teacher on Special Assignment], coaching other teachers.”
Mrs. Hardgrave wants students to know she is “dedicated to your success, personally and academically, and that I will always go above and beyond for you. If there is anything you need, don’t hesitate to reach out. I love my job and I am always looking for ways to improve myself and my work. Personally, that I love being outside, and that I love new music. If you can suggest a new place to walk/hike or a new band I should check out, let me know!”
