New Principal Jaclyn De Lao Eager to Start a ‘Great Year’
Jaclyn De Lao is the New Principal at the Center for Career Services
“I love it. It’s beautiful. We have a great campus,” De Lao said. “Getting to walk through and see how it’s set up, it’s a really nice campus. That’s important for kids to see. They should walk in and see a welcoming environment, and that is definitely provided here.”
De Lao will be a central figure in the welcoming party when students return to campus on Thursday, Sept. 5. She arrived in July after serving for five years as an Assistant Principal at Orange-Ulster BOCES’ Career & Technical Education Center. In her role with OUBOCES, De Lao helped usher in a restorative approach to discipline. She also became a board member for New York’s SkillsUSA, a career and technical organization that serves high school and post-secondary students and is known for holding regional and state-wide competitions.
In her latter role, De Lao has hosted SkillsUSA’s regional competition at Orange-Ulster BOCES’ CTE Center. That event — which has quadrupled in recent years to nearly 400 participants from 11 Hudson Valley schools — will now be held here at the Center for Career Services in February.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s a fabulous event,” she said. “That’s something I’m very excited to bring here.”
De Lao, a New York City native, began her career as a social studies teacher who later created the first pre-engineering program at Bronx Aerospace High School. She also worked with teacher leaders to help develop their teams of Youth Equity, Staff Equity and Community Partnerships, which brought staff members together to promote college and career readiness.
Throughout her years as an educator, De Lao has become an advocate of career-focused education.
“It’s a unique learning experience for the kids,” she said. “Students who may have felt like they weren’t good at something can come here and really shine.”
De Lao said she values the commitment and bond CTE staff have toward the students and their careers.
“They are so dedicated,” she said. “There’s something so special about CTE teachers. They live and breathe it. That makes the experience all the more rich for the students.”
De Lao holds a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Science in Education from St. John’s University. She also earned a School Building Leader Certification and School District Leader Certification from Bank Street College.
De Lao is eager to welcome students to campus this week.
“I’m really excited. I’m happy to be here,” she said. “I think it will be a really great year.”
