Portola Jr./Sr. High School Home

Interview with PHS Principal Sara Sheridan:

 

"I went to Loyalton High School, so I would never have believed that I was going to be principal at our rival high school. I also never imagined myself having kids, but now I have four!”

 

 

How did you end up in Plumas County? “My family has had a cabin in the Sierras since the 1940’s, so I used to come up to the mountains every summer. When I was eleven years old, I went through a really traumatic experience (an attempted kidnapping) and my parents decided that we would spend the entire summer in the mountains. By the time August rolled around, they decided that we were going to move permanently. My siblings and I were thrilled. We never even said goodbye to our friends in the Bay Area, my mom went back to the house and just packed everything up.”

 

 

"My alarm clock….I’m kidding. For me, it’s the constant feeling that I have found my calling in life. I know that the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to do what you love. I feel like I have found that sweet spot in my life."

Sara started teaching at PHS when she was 26 years old, she has taught History, PE, English, Health, Drivers Training, and Credit Recovery, she served as VP for three years before becoming the principal of PHS 5 years ago. She believes that “A good principal ensures student achievement through teacher support. "When I say achievement, I don’t only mean academic – our students deserve the very best teachers to guide and support them. It is my job to make sure the conditions exist for that to happen every single day.” Her bucket list includes traveling, designing her own home, learning to play the guitar, and writing a script for a movie.