Paul E. Carlson
Principal, Lincoln Elementary School
Mr. Paul E. Carlson is very excited about being chosen as the new principal of Lincoln Elementary School in the Nogales Unified School District. Mr. Carlson believes in creating and maintaining a positive school culture, in which every member of the school community knows that they are valued and everyone is expected to contribute their best efforts toward continuous improvement. Having been an enthusiastic educator since 1986, he is well-acquainted and fascinated with the teaching and learning processes and understands how to move these forward.
Mr. Carlson holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of South Dakota, a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota, a master’s degree in Special Education-Gifted from Northern Arizona University, and principal certification from the Arizona Department of Education. He started as a teacher at Lincoln Elementary and continued to teach for 17 years. Since 2003, he has worked as a literacy specialist/coordinator, a position which has involved working closely with teachers to help them improve their teaching skill and understanding of curriculum and assessment as well.
Mr. Carlson feels honored to have the opportunity to continue working with Lincoln School’s wonderful staff, students, and families in the capacity of principal. Please feel free to come by the school to meet him or if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas to help Lincoln be the best school it can be.
Aissa Celeste Bonillas
Principal, Mary Welty Elementary School
Aissa Bonillas was born in Nogales, AZ. She attended Mary L. Welty Elementary, Wade Carpenter Middle School, and Nogales High School. Ms.Bonillas graduated from NHS in 1999. She went on to continue her education at the University of Arizona, graduating in 2003 with a double major in Political Science and Secondary Education and a minor in Spanish.
Ms. Bonillas began working at Nogales High School in August of 2003, teaching Spanish for five years and AP Government for one year.
While teaching at Nogales High School, she also coached the dance team from 2003 to 2005. Ms. Bonillas received a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership - Administration and Supervision from the University of Phoenix in 2007. She also served as the Honors Coordinator from 2007 to 2009, overseeing the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate program. Ms. Bonillas then became the Assistant Principal at Nogales High School in 2009.
Christina Valdez
Principal, Challenger Elementary School
Ms. Christina Valdez is the newly appointed principal at Challenger Elementary School and has dedicated her career to the life of service to others. As a leader, she strives to bring out the best in students, teachers, and staff and create leaders among leaders. Ms. Valdez believes in providing high-quality education while building meaningful relationships with students, staff, and students' hearts before you can capture their mind.
Ms. Valdez holds a bachelor of arts in journalism with a minor in business from the University of Arizona, a master's in elementary education from the University of Phoenix and principal certificate from Northern Arizona. Ms. Valdez began her career as a reporter for the Tucson Citizen newspaper and USA Today in Virginia. Wanting to make a difference in the lives of youth, Ms. Valdez changed careers and became an elementary teacher with a focus on educating second language learners. As a teacher and administrator in Tucson for the past 14 years, she has worked in turnaround schools and as part of the leadership team has been successful in students reaching high academic success. Ms. Valdez is excited about her new role as principal and believes that the Challenger community is a special place that has amazing parent and community support. She is enthusiastic about continuing the rich traditions of Challenger including that of becoming a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence once again!
Sandra Licet Jimenez
Principal, Coronado Elementary School
Sandra Licet Jimenez is the principal at Francisco Vasquez de Coronado Elementary School. Mrs. Jimenez believes in providing quality instruction while at the same time creating a positive school climate and culture for all students.
Mrs. Jimenez holds a bachelors of arts in elementary education with a minor in sociology from Prescott College, a masters of business administration from the University of Phoenix, and a masters of education in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University. She started her teaching career at NUSD #1 in the year 2000. Prior to her leadership role as principal of Coronado, she was a reading specialist for 10 years, and classroom teacher for five years.
Among her many leadership roles throughout her teaching career, Mrs.Jimenez has collaborated as the school improvement coordinator, structured English immersion specialist, and assessment coordinator. She was also the driving force behind Coronado’s successful National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence application submission. She believes that teamwork is the ultimate way a school can be successful in reaching the goal of helping students attain their full potential. She has two young sons with her husband of 12 years.
Michelle Shuman
Principal, A.J. Mitchell Elementary School
Michelle Shuman is the principal at A.J. Mitchell Elementary School. Ms. Shuman strongly believes that every child has the ability to learn and grow. As principal, she ensures students experience a nurturing environment so that they can grow academically, socially, and emotionally.
She knows that teachers and school staff are the key to having a successful school, and does whatever she can to support their miraculous daily efforts. Working with parents as partners in the education of A.J. Mitchell students is a large part of how she supports her teachers and students.
Ms. Shuman earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana in 1990. She began her career immediately after graduation at Nogales Unified School District as a student-teacher at A.J. Mitchell Elementary School, under the leadership of former Lincoln Principal, Dr. Lucina Romero. She worked at A.J. Mitchell for eight years as a primary grade teacher in the bilingual programs from August 1991 through June 1999 and received the top teacher recognition as 1996-1997 Teacher of the Year. She went on to obtain a Masters degree in administration and supervision from the University of Phoenix in 1998. She transferred to Robert M. Bracker in 1999, where she worked as a second-grade teacher and reading specialist until 2003. Michelle was also selected as Bracker Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year for School Year 2001-2002 and won the district-level Teacher of the Year that same year. In the fall of 2003, she became the district coordinator for the highly successful Reading First program. Michelle worked with principals, teachers, and students at four Reading First elementary schools. She previously served as principal at Robert M. Bracker Elementary School for nine years. She is very proud of the impressive accomplishments of her staff and students. In 2007, the school received the prestigious federal recognition of Blue Ribbon School, based on the tremendous academic growth of the students over a five-year period.
Joanne Vigilant
Principal, RM Bracker Elementary School
Born in the US Virgin Islands, Ms. Joanne Vigilant is a strong believer in education and what it can do. As the newly appointed principal of Robert M. Bracker Elementary School, Ms. Vigilant is eager and excited to be part of an innovative team. She is deeply committed to making a positive difference in the lives of students and our community. Ms. Vigilant’s leadership strengths are:
-Setting and maintaining high academic expectations for herself, students, staff and teachers
-Providing supportive systems to assure academic goals are met
-Ensuring that timely, consistent and effective communication is established with parents, students, and all stakeholders
-Building strong teams around the common mission and goals of the district
After she graduated from Prescott College in 2001 with a BA in education, Ms. Vigilant went on to earn Masters degrees in Psychology (Prescott College, 2005), and Educational Leadership (Northern Arizona University, 2012). Ms. Vigilant started her career in education at a very young age and has worn many hats throughout her career. She taught fifth grade at Tucson Unified School District, and her most recent appointment was serving as a high school principal at a charter school in Tucson, Arizona. On her off time, Ms. Vigilant enjoys time with her dog, spending time with her loving companion, and singing karaoke.
Ms. Vigilant strives to provide a safe, positive, intellectual learning environment that will empower students to become creative problem solvers, critical thinkers, and inspired learners prepared for life in today's world. She is eager to continue the strong legacy and reputation that Bracker Elementary School has worked hard to establish.