For First Time In Its 111-Year History, Diverse Catholic High School In Bronx Has Female Principal
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It may have taken more than a century, but a new principal is making history in the Bronx.
As CBS2's Tony Aiello reported Monday, she is shattering the glass ceiling.
Before the start of every school day, faculty greet the young men at All Hallows High School, located two blocks from Yankee Stadium.
This particular welcome committee took nearly 111 years to materialize. The school, which was founded by the Christian Brothers, has its first female principal.
"An all-boys Catholic school, I have to believe that God had a play in where I was going to be," Susan Natale said.
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Over the years, many women have worked at All Hallows, but none ever occupied the principal's office.
"I think the world is changing and today. The gentlemen need role models in both women and men and having me as principal, that is one value I bring to the school," Natale said.
With two masters degrees and 24 years working in Catholic schools, most recently Iona Prep in New Rochelle, Natale is engineering big plans for All Hallows.
"We are moving forward in technology and STEM and to be a STEM-certified school and work with Amazon and Google. All of the teachers will be Google 1 level educator certified by the end of the year," Natale said.
The school president Ron Schutte said Natale impressed with her experience and drive.
"Susan wasn't hired based on the fact that she was a female. She was hired on the fact of her experience and breadth of knowledge and as we moved our students into the 21st century, Susan had all the skills we were looking for," Schutte said.
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Monday was the first day of classes and students were already gravitating towards her.
"I love that we have a female teacher. Diversity is key," senior Christopher Denis said.
"It's going to be a different dynamic to have her in the school and that's only a good thing," senior Omar Santos added.
"It doesn't matter if you're a male or female, you're leading the students towards the future. As long as you have that knowledge and ability and background, it can be anyone," Natale said.
She's all-in to lead this all-boys school.
Natale is the only female principal that leads an all-boys Catholic school in the Bronx, and one of the few across the Tri-State Area.
