Women in Education

Embracing Innovation

Kelsey Secor is no newcomer to Prescott Unified School District (PUSD). Initially hired in July 2008 as an educator, since 2022, she has embraced her newest evolving role as Director of Instructional Support. This role’s initiative is to support district leaders in keeping up with education trends and the latest research while providing meaningful and relevant professional development opportunities.

She said, “I’ve been a student, teacher, instructional coach, assistant principal, principal, director, and parent — all within PUSD.” District life is not more all-encompassing than that, and Kelsey gives 100 percent in every role.

Opportunities Abound

During a Prescott Woman Magazine interview, Jamie Bjune said she looked forward to implementing a new grant program for indoor hydroponic gardens at Granite Mountain Middle School later that day. The Federal Programs Director for Prescott Unified School District (PUSD), Jamie and her team in the grants department said the hydroponic gardens grant serves as just one small example of the many grant opportunities available for PUSD students.

Setting Students Up for High School Success

Michelle Hoop is the sole Counselor for Academic Achievement and Support serving all 553 students in grades seven and eight at Prescott Unified School District’s (PUSD) Mile High School. She said recently that she combats any challenges by making a priority of “seeing the students with the highest needs.”

Her Perfect Fit

Sheryl Blosel has found her perfect fit. With a vast background in Information Technology (IT) and Database Management, her position as the Prescott Unified School District’s (PUSD) PowerSchool Administrator is just right.

PowerSchool, the student information system, is a database connected to the Arizona Department of Education via AzEDS, an Ed-fi model for Arizona that automates student data reporting—the vehicle by which the state calculates PUSD’s student funding. Most schools use some type of student information system, and Sheryl said she makes it “a personal mission to do quality internal audits for each school within the district to make sure schools are compliant with state/federal rules and regulations.”

‘Early College Mom’

Director of Prescott Unified School District’s (PUSD) Early College Program, Molly Orr, has roots through her family’s three-generation heritage and contributions to the Prescott area education system. With a grandmother who was an educator in Arizona and California and a father who taught math at Prescott High School (PHS) from the 60s to the 90s, Molly said, “We don’t have buildings named after us, but my family has had a positive influence on this community since Arizona was just a territory!”

Nurturing the Seeds in Discovery Gardens

From student to educator, Discovery Gardens Special Education Preschool Director Stacy Williams has lived in Prescott since 1986, having attended Lincoln Elementary, Granite Mountain Middle School, and Prescott High School.

After her high school graduation, Stacy spent two years at Yavapai College where she had the opportunity to be a part of the team that brought the first Northern Arizona University (NAU) satellite campus to Yavapai County, catering to those students who wanted to become educators within the Prescott area without having to travel to Flagstaff for classes.