As students walk onto campus, a new face greets them at the door. Hallways continue to buzz with the usual conversation, and while most students go about their day without noticing much difference, behind the scenes, Bowie is adjusting to a change in leadership, marking a large shift as the school prepares for the rest of the year.
With the retirement of Principal Mark Robinson, AISD has appointed Dr. Cathryn Mitchell as Administrative Substitute for the remainder of the school year. Mitchell stepped into this role on January 19, following Robinson’s departure, bringing in her decades of experience in education and leadership.
“I really do love being a principal, I enjoy getting to know all the students, just watching all the things that y’all do,” Mitchell said. “I’ve totally loved it, because for so many people I remember what you were like in middle school and how different that has been to see y’all grow up. I really like watching everything from theater events, cheer, sports, dance. I just enjoy watching everyone do everything.”
Mitchell began in AISD in 1992, where she worked as a fifth-grade teacher while simultaneously working towards earning her masters degree and principal certification. Then Mitchell began her career as a principal shortly after, where she administered multiple various schools such as Oak Hill Elementary. Mitchell made the decision to retire in June 2024 after her final position at Gorzycki Middle School.
“I knew I wanted to come back. I had a friend that subbed right after she retired, so I knew that was something I wanted to do,” Mitchell said. “Between June of 2024 and right now, I think Bowie is now my eighth campus that I have substituted on.”
Both Robinson and Assistant Principal Kaylin Brett knew Mitchell had been subbing at various other schools throughout the district, and with her knowledge of Bowie campus and students, they made the selection of Mitchell as substitute.
“I think Dr. Mitchell is an obvious choice with her background in our community,” Brett said. “She was the principal at Gorzycki Middle School and knows many of our students and parents. She is already connected with our community.”
As Mitchell settles into her new position, student reactions have varied. With Mitchell’s experience, lots of students are familiar with her and the role she played in previous schools, and while some are eager to begin this transition, others are hesitant of the change away from Robinson.
“For the past year, Robinson has been detached from students’ concerns, especially with Student Leadership, and he hasn’t applied any of our necessary changes that should have been made to the school,” senior Natalie Frey said. “So, it’s nice to have someone come in who’s committed to helping the school, and because they’re new, they want what’s best for us.”
At Gorzycki Middle School, Mitchell previously worked with many other staff members who are currently at Bowie. Mitchell expressed this will make for an easier transition within administration. However, the staff are not the only familiar faces to Mitchell, as she is reconnecting with many students she knew in the past.
“Her presence feels pretty intimidating to me because of my past experiences with her in middle school,” senior Hannah Fellers said. “I think students just want to be comfortable. I feel like some students might be less open to talking to her or opening up to her compared to Robinson, and that could make the environment feel less welcoming.”
While some students remain unsure about the leadership change, Mitchell has found the transition to be easier than anticipated, and that her experience on many larger campuses have made Bowie easier to adapt to than initially thought.
“I had always heard that Bowie was really big and intense, and while it is big, it still feels small in a way,” Mitchell said. “It’s not nearly as overwhelming as I thought it was going to be. I thought I’d be scared walking around at first, but I’ve seen some of the biggest kids cry in my office when they get in trouble, so it’s hard to be intimidated by someone you’ve seen cry.”
As she continues to adjust to Bowie, she has begun identifying areas for improvement, specifically with organization and communication around campus.
“One of my strengths is that I really like systems, I have to have systems in place because these are large campuses and I need to know what’s going on,” Mitchell said. “One of the things I noticed about this campus is that there isn’t a master calendar, which I think is kind of crazy. There’s so much happening, and there’s not one place to look to see everything. I want to help create something like that so when the new principal comes in, they can easily see what’s going on.”
As Mitchell looks ahead at the remainder of the school year, she has acknowledged that there are several challenges that she needs to work with administration to navigate.
“One of the biggest challenges is scheduling for next year, especially once students start turning in their choice sheets,” Mitchell said. “We have to build the schedule and the budget at the same time and make sure we have enough teachers for all the classes we need. That’s always stressful, and it’s a challenge every year. On top of that, Slaughter Lane is going down to one lane for five weeks, so traffic is already something we’re trying to plan around.”
