The happiest part of most children’s day is when the clock strikes 3 p.m. and they get to leave the seemingly cramped confines of their school and head out to an afternoon filled with endless possibilities.
Lorel Gonzales wasn’t like most children.
In fact, the Hahnville principal, who was recently named the region’s High School Principal of the Year, couldn’t get enough of school.
“I always thought I would become a teacher, even at an early age,” Gonzales said. “I had several wonderful teachers who inspired me in elementary, junior high and high school. I always enjoyed school, especially math and sports.”
Gonzales grew up in Hahnville and was actually a part of the first class to attend and graduate from the then new Hahnville High School on Highway 90 in 1976. From there, she traveled to Nicholls State University, where she majored in Health and Physical Education and minored in Mathematics.
Though she had a slight detour at Thibodaux High School, where she taught for four years, her love of math and sports eventually brought her home to Hahnville. Finally back in the parish, Gonzales got the chance to inspire students of her own over the next 14 years as both a math teacher and a coach of softball and volleyball.
Gonzales relished the opportunity to lead young women into the sports arena.
“In coaching, I was able to do something I always enjoyed as a youngster,” Gonzales said. “I played softball on recreation teams, summer travel teams and in high school. I loved the competition in sports and sharing my love for sports with the girls on the team.”
For Gonzales, she was well on her way to a career she always dreamed about.
“My parents encouraged me and my four siblings to do whatever would make us happy,” Gonzales said. “I have several relatives who were in education, including my godmother, Sandra Oubre, who was a teacher and principal in St. Charles Parish.
“My parents and grandparents were wonderful role models for me. They taught me responsibilities, values and the importance of education and family.”
Because of those values, Gonzales became the staff development coordinator and eventually assistant principal of the school. Three years later, she was named principal of Harry Hurst Middle School, and three years after that, Gonzales became principal of Destrehan High School.
After another three year stay, Gonzales was named principal of the school that she had graduated from more than 30 years before.
Though being a fan of either Destrehan or Hahnville can sometimes lead to heated exchanges during the year, Gonzales is in a unique situation because she has worked at both schools. However, there aren’t too many differences between them.
“DHS and HHS have more similarities than differences,” Gonzales said when asked what separates the two schools. “I think one of the major differences is there are more students at HHS whose parents and grandparents attended St. Charles Parish schools. DHS has more students than HHS whose parents have moved into the community from other areas.”
But there are a couple of major areas where Gonzales feels the two schools shine together.
“Both schools have wonderful teachers and staff who care about the students,” Gonzales said. “The parents of both schools are involved and helpful with what we do. I loved being at both schools because I was able to meet so many wonderful people.”
And while the teachers, staff and parents support the students, Gonzales would like to see Hahnville students perform better on standardized test. She would also like to lower the dropout rate.
“We have improved in this area in recent years, but still need to do better,” she said. “We should have no dropouts in our schools. Our parish has invested too much money for this to be acceptable by anyone.”
To solve that problem, Gonzales plans to use both students and adults as mentors for at-risk students to encourage them and assist in their education.
To her, that ability to help shape lives is what makes her job so special.
“I enjoy being a principal because I can see the whole picture – the students, the teachers and the community,” Gonzales said. “I have a vested interest in this parish because I have many nieces, nephews, cousins and children of my friends who attend HHS or will attend in the future.
“I want them and all the children of St. Charles Parish to receive the best education they can to further their careers.”
And Gonzales does her part to make sure that happens.
Though she says there is no such thing as an average day when you are principal of a high school, Gonzales goes beyond the call of duty for a majority of that time. On most days, the principal greets students as they enter, checks to make sure the dress code is being followed and then moves them to class. Anyone having a birthday gets a special birthday pencil, and Gonzales travels from class to class to observe teaching practices and student behavior. She then walks around the commons area and cafeteria at all three lunches to monitor students.
But that’s not all.
“I think some might be surprised that I help serve extra lunch items to speed things up while speaking to students in the cafeteria,” Gonzales said. “I follow all health guidelines when serving.”
If having to help serve lunches is what it takes to stay near the students, it’s all worth it to Gonzales.
“I truly love to teach,” she said. “I have been teaching my entire career. I still go into math classrooms as a principal and teach classes when I can.”
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