For as long as she can remember, Michelle Adalian dreamed of becoming an educator. As a child, she spent hours playing school with her stuffed animals, picturing a bright and colorful classroom around her.
“There was never a doubt in my mind that my career would be surrounded by the walls of a school building,” Ms. Adalian said.
Fast forward two decades and Ms. Adalian has helped countless students discover the joy of learning as an elementary school teacher. She’s now the assistant principal of Stillwater Elementary and hopes to impact students on a larger scale to prepare them for a lifetime of educational success.
“I’m excited to have Michelle join our team at Stillwater Elementary School,” said principal Rebecca Toleman. “Her previous experiences will be an asset to our building and together we will work to continue to make our school the very best.”
Ms. Adalian began her career in 2001 teaching fourth grade in the Newport News School District in Virginia. She soon returned to New York State and spent the next several years teaching different grade levels at various Capital Region school districts.
She previously worked in the Mechanicville City School District, first as a literacy coordinator and then as an instructional specialist. In these roles, Ms. Adalian collaborated with students, teachers and staff throughout the district and gained important insight into the diverse needs of each grade level. This experience will be a valuable asset to Ms. Adalian as she gets to know Stillwater Elementary students, what makes them unique and how she can best support them as assistant principal.
“I’m excited to work alongside the amazing staff at Stillwater Elementary and utilize my past experiences to continue to make the school an outstanding place to work, learn, thrive, laugh and grow,” Ms. Adalian said.
Ms. Adalian has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Cortland. She also has two master’s degrees, one in reading from Saint Rose and another in educational leadership from Western Governors University in Utah. In addition, Ms. Adalian earned a school building leader certification in December 2023.
Born and raised in Guilderland, Ms. Adalian continues to live in the area today with her four daughters whose ages range from ten to seventeen. In her free time, Ms. Adalian enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to Florida to visit her parents, and gathering with friends for barbecues and football Sundays.