Forty-one years in the education field have proven a success for Principal Deb Smith  who was recently named Administrator of The Year by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) for her hard work and dedication at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS).

“It felt really good after all these years to be recognized,” Smith said. “Forty-one years as a teacher is a long time and it was really sweet, especially in my last year.”

ACSA Region 16 is an organization that recognizes Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) employees and administrators. They help greater the education of California and create a community to assist their goals of further education.

The annual banquet was held on May 7 at Casa Italiana in Downtown Los Angeles. The purpose of the banquet is to help recognize staff for their work and commitment in helping students across the district. Multiple awards were presented to administrators, teachers and principals.

These awards acknowledge the hard work and outstanding achievements by individual administrators at both regional and state levels.

“She loves showing up and always has a smile about what she does,” senior Adrian Contreras said. “She is also very talented and coordinated. I’m not surprised at all she won this award.”

Smith has been the principal at DPMHS for seven years since 2012 and has been in the education field for much more than that. Smith has been very involved with the school, from walking around the halls during break or even taking time to interact with students too.

The award comes special to Smith for her last year as principal before her retirement at the end of the school year, proving a successful career for her 41 years as an educator and principal.

“I was thrilled as she is the most deserving person to win this award,” Magnet Coordinator Leah Pevar said.