Principal Cohen is a leader filled with boundless energy and many ideas to make her school a warm, welcoming space. She is constantly working towards preparing students for their post-high school life and always focuses deeply on what more she can do to help. As a student, Cohen didn’t expect her story to unfold as it did, but from a law school rejection, she realized that some obstacles can lead to the greatest opportunities.

During her time at Madison, she describes herself as her own “mini-me.” Cohen was an active participant in many extracurricular activities, such as Mock Trial, Law Journal (Amicus), Yearbook, SING, and was the senior class president. To be the principal of the very school she graduated from wasn’t something she saw for herself. Cohen came from a family of educators, and she says, “The last thing I wanted to do was become an educator.” The future she wanted was in law. Although she was accepted into multiple law schools, her rejection from New York University Law School was her redirection. 

Initially, she entered the event planning field, working for a Madison alum who owned an event company. Cohen repeats the words her father told her, “You’re not making minimum wage as a college graduate. You’re becoming a teacher.” And what did she do? She listened. After being offered a teaching position at Midwood, Madison, or Murrow, she was called by the assistant principal of English, who asked, “Are you coming to Madison?” Cohen said, “The rest is history.”

After getting her master’s in special education, she went into administration, and she was granted the position of assistant principal. Eventually, the principal was planning to retire, but Mrs. Cohen doubted she would earn the position. She describes what Madison used to be like, saying it had a “weird reputation” and it wasn’t at all like what it is today. She says what lifted her doubts was being believed in. The superintendent then believed in her, and in turn, it pushed her to gain her position as school principal. Cohen always says how she couldn’t have done all of this without the help of Dr. Inoa and Mrs. Duran. She brings light to how they transformed the community to become greater, and she says it’s because “We allowed educators and the students to be part of the transformation.” 

Cohen describes one of her favorite parts about being an educator and an administrator is simply the students. “To be able to provide that platform and opportunity for students and then watch them grow from it, that’s my favorite part.” She says watching the positivity and self-advocacy of students is truly what fills her with energy each day. What doesn’t fail to make her smile each day is when students approach her first. Whether it’s students going to her first with their college acceptances or something as simple as a “good morning”, she holds value to those moments of acknowledgement. As she puts it, “It’s those little recognitions that show me that students appreciate what they’re given here, and that’s what makes me smile.” To her, it’s the little accomplishments that define the big ones.

Whenever faced with difficult decisions Cohen says that she “takes a deep breath” and steps into it. She recalls being  told, “We want to end there. ‘There’ could really mean anything, and to get past that point, you have to challenge yourself to see what the end goal is.” and then build your way towards that. Using this as her inspiration, she consistently shows that in what she chooses to do each day for the school. 

Cohen also gives advice on how anyone can grow better as a person. She goes on to discuss the AP meetings. These meetings determine whether or not a student is eligible to take three or more AP courses the following school year. She says she holds these meetings to “develop intrapersonal skills” and calls them “integral”. Cohen says they’re essential for any field that one may plan on going into. She describes telling her own two children, “It is how you walk into a room and present yourself that people remember.” To her, this signifies that first impressions can determine your success, saying that “If you can’t hold a conversation with an adult or anyone, you’re not going to be successful.” 

Cohen has a vision for the upcoming years at Madison. She describes a new state initiative called Portrait of a Graduate. Her goals for this would be to “engage students and educators in further developing what it will look like at Madison.” She lists the opportunities she wants to continue implementing, such as the Seal of Civic Readiness and Seal of Biliteracy, and she wishes to “create different pathways for students.” Cohen also emphasizes that she wants the ownership to be more on the students so that they can “navigate their own path” and less of “us holding their hands.” 

Finally, Cohen ends by describing what she does to connect with students despite the school population being over 4,200 students. Cohen approaches this by greeting students at scanning, checking in during passing, and constantly shouting out the outstanding work she sees in the school. These are all the little gestures that she finds to help her create a bond with her students. She’s active at school events such as sports championships and clubs, always showing support for her Knights. 

Principal Cohen’s journey shows that being a leader isn’t simply a title to hold, but rather about nurturing growth, taking a step forward in challenging situations, and working towards making a difference in each and every student’s lives. As she continues to greet students at the door every morning and take on new prospects, her impact leaves a lasting impression on Madison’s community, guaranteeing that students are set for success.