The path that new Vice Principal and English supervisor, Dr. Clarke, has taken to Eastern has been long and winding. 

  She started out studying English at Rutgers University. Straight after college, she received a journalist job for Black Enterprise magazine in New York City,where she wrote about business. “I choose Black Enterprise over the Wall Street Journal because they were willing to pay me a little bit more,” said Clarke. She had also interned at the magazine while at Rutgers. Her main beats were career management and personal development.

  She worked at the magazine for five years and then went back to school. Clarke earned her masters from St. Peter’s University in Education Administration and Supervision. While attaining her masters, she taught in North Jersey during the day. She taught for a while before getting the itch to go back to graduate school. She moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to attend Marquette. At Marquette she earned her Masters in counselling and her PhD in educational policy and leadership.After her time in the midwest, she moved back to New Jersey to teach English Composition at a community college.  Her next stop was Oak Crest High School for six years. Oak Crest would be her final stop before reaching Eastern. 

  “This place is huge,” said Dr. Clarke about her first impressions of Eastern. “This place is double the size of where I was before.” Clarke is up to the challenge. 

  At the end of the day, Clarke still works with kids. “The kids are no different here than in the other school I have worked at.  They are young people with the same needs,” said Clarke.

  Dr. Clarke is most looking forward to adjusting to her new role as the vice principal for the class of 2022. 

 Dr. Clarke is quickly becoming a part of the Eastern community, and we are welcoming her with open arms. “I am just really happy to be here. The staff is great and the students are great,” she said.

  Eastern’s and Dr. Clarke share a common mission: to prepare students to become productive, caring, responsible, and contributing adults. 

  Dr. Clarke is happy in her new role. “It’s good to pursue experiences that stretch you, and I’ve enjoyed doing just that. If you don’t go, you won’t grow!” said Dr. Clarke.