By: Mollie Shannon

McCornack Elementary School was opened in 1968 in Eugene, Oregon.  Londa Rochholz, the current principal of McCornack Elementary, grew up in the Eugene area.  She in fact attended McCornack, from her 2^nd grade year on.  Both of Rochholz’s parents were teachers, and she wanted to be a teacher ever since she was a little girl.  She recalls frequently “playing teacher” as a child.  Rochholz studied education at George Fox University, with the goal of becoming a history teacher.  Soon after she received a job in her hometown teaching both history and global studies at North Eugene High School.

After four years at North Eugene, Rochholz took some time off to have children.  She had three daughters, and wanted a few years to focus on spending time with them.  Her next move was becoming involved with Home and Hospital Instruction.  This is a service provided to students who are temporarily unable to attend their regular schooling.  This was a smooth transition back into working because Rochholz was able to construct her own schedule.  There was an education center for the children to meet at, as well as house calls.  Rochholz was working with students of all ages, and with every subject.  Occasionally she would be picking up homework from the students’ normal teachers, but says she would most often have to create the content on her own.  As time went on she began to take more of a coordinator’s role for Home and Hospital Instruction, although she was still teaching.  During her time with this program, Rochholz realized her passion for administrating.  She recalls her reasoning and states, “I wanted to have more influence on the vision and the culture of the school”.

Eugene’s 4J school district partnered with the University of Oregon and had a yearlong program where Rochholz earned her administrative certificate.  She then began regularly filling in for different principals.  She became assistant principal at Churchill High School, and worked there for six years.  The 2013-2014 school year is Rochholz’s first year as a principal.  She says she enjoys elementary school because there are fewer students (350), making it possible to know everyone’s names.  With this smaller population she is able to know the families of the students and says she “likes working with parents”.  As a principal she has more input and control on how the school is run.