Dressed in professional attire, assistant principal Kacey Selken poses for her portrait. “Every seven to ten years I’m ready for a new challenge and people have told me for a long time I needed to be a leader and do more leadership roles on campus,” Selken said. “That’s why I went in to get my administration degree.” Photo courtesy of Kacey Selken

As the bells ring and students move through hallways they’ve known for years, one new assistant principal Kacey Selken is learning the rhythm of a school that she is excited to call home. While the faces are new and hallways less familiar, Selken is eager to use her past experience to strengthen an established culture.  

After nearly twenty years of serving the community, first as a counselor and later the lead assistant principal at Cedar Park Middle School, Selken is set to join the school’s administrative team by the end of the month.

“Not all kids want to learn but most of our kids are here and present,” Selken said. “That’s really what’s kept me in this feeder pattern for so many years, so I’m just excited to get to work at a high school with different challenges, but the same community.”

Selken first discovered her passion for teaching when she volunteered at a camp for children with disabilities at the age of fifteen. The experience influenced her to pursue a career in special education.

“I got to work at that camp over the summer and from then on I knew that I wanted to work with kids,” Selken said. “Specifically, I went into becoming a special education teacher after college because I enjoyed it so much.”

After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, Selken began her teaching career at Bailey Middle School, where she taught for seven years. She later earned her master’s degree and transitioned into counseling at Cedar Park Middle School. During her time in that role, Selken completed her administration degree and has served as an assistant principal ever since.

“Every seven to ten years I’m ready for a new challenge and people have told me for a long time I needed to be a leader and do more leadership roles on campus,” Selken said. “That’s why I went in to get my administration degree.”

After years of experience in multiple roles, principal John Sloan said that Selken’s background makes her a strong addition to school administration.

“Kelsey brings a wealth of experience as a teacher, counselor and assistant principal,” Sloan said. “She has been a valued part of our community as the lead assistant principal at Cedar Park Middle School and will be a tremendous addition to our campus.”

According to associate principal Tereasa Back, Selken’s background at the middle school and as a counselor is a strength that will help to connect with freshmen students as they enter high school for the first time.

“[Selken] is calm and good at building relationships with kids’ parents and staff,” Back said. “I think she knows how to take a balanced approach and listen to a situation before reacting to it and that’s very important in this position.”

“I have kids of my own so that’s a lot of my time after work,” Selken said. “They’re both teenagers and they both attend Liberty Hill ISD, so they’re not in my feeder pattern even though I would love for them to be.”

As she prepares to settle into her new role, Selken said her main goal is to build a positive relationship with the students and to support them to the best of her ability.

“I always just want to get to know kids and to have that first interaction be positive,” Selken said. “I care a lot about kids and what their outcomes are, so I always am looking for ways that I can best support them.”