The Hawks have been opening their wings to welcome several new members to the Administrative team, some of whom Urbana is welcoming back, including new assistant principal, Cynthia Braslow.

The recent Oakdale HSA Intervention Specialist and 504 Coordinator was an Urbana Hawk for six years before leaving for Oakdale, and when she was transferred back Braslow said, “It felt like coming home.”

Regardless of the stress that comes with moving, Braslow was excited to come back and said, “Urbana is the most wonderful school I could have picked.”

The Rutgers University and McDaniel College graduate is no stranger to working in education as she was a teacher for several different Frederick County Public Schools such as Oakdale and Middletown, but being one of Urbana’s assistant principals will be her first administration job. Braslow plans to dive into the role of an assistant principal by ensuring student safety and providing the best academic experience the student body can have.  Although Braslow will miss being able to form relationships with students in the classroom “due to her new administration status,” she has no intention of missing out when it comes to Urbana’s traditions. Braslow fully supports the motto, “High School for Life”. She loves being under the ‘Friday Night Lights’ and after watching her son play football for his high school until he graduated, she does not plan on missing the Hawks on the football field.

Even if it calls for late, unpredictable hours, Braslow’s commitment to teaching the students how to succeed in a non-academic way will never take the day-off. Braslow wants the student body to have the skills they “need to go forward and be successful in (their) career paths.”

When asked what advice she had for the student body, Braslow said, “How you practice is how you play.” She explains that when a teacher gives you homework, that is practice for the test, when you play.

She encourages students to seek the assistance they need to accomplish their goals. When Braslow was a part of the after-school tutoring program at Oakdale High, she said, “All I want is to see the light on the face of a student who understands the material.”

Unfortunately, there are some cases that do not succeed in their high school career. Braslow said, “it is disappointing when you can’t get a kid to come back and finish school.”

Her overall goal as an educator has been to have the students succeed, no matter how that happens. Braslow said, “Even though people don’t take the original path, there are so many paths to success.”

A student may not find his/her success within the walls of a high school but Braslow does not want a student to leave without trying. Braslow hopes to “help Urbana to continue being more successful.”