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.
Gabriel Wong
Principal, A.J. Mitchell Elementary School
Mr. Gabriel Wong is the proud incoming principal of AJ Mitchell Elementary School. He is very honored to have the opportunity to serve as principal and excited to continue the work and carry the torch forward. Mr. Wong believes in visionary-servant leadership and leading with the needs of the team and the communities we serve as the driving principle coupled with ethical and caring behavior providing the team’s moral compass. He believes in creating positive relationships, fostering collaboration, respecting diversity and culture, and believes that all students deserve safe schools that provide high quality instruction and great opportunities for future success.
He was born and raised in Yuma, Arizona to a humble migrant farming family and graduated from Yuma High School. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and moved to Tucson in 2004 to attend the University of Arizona with concentrations in Political Science and Business Administration. During his time at the University of Arizona he took two yearlong leaves of absence for active-duty military service and overseas deployment. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in August 2009.
Mr. Wong began his career in education nearly thirteen years ago in Tucson at Nosotros Academy where he taught from 2009-2012. He earned a Master of Educational Leadership in Higher Education & Community College from Northern Arizona University in May of 2012. He began working for Tucson Unified in 2012 and served in various teaching and leadership roles until 2019. During his tenure at Tucson Unified, Mr. Wong earned his graduate certificate in Principalship from Northern Arizona University. In 2019, Mr. Wong accepted the role of assistant principal at Mountain Rose Academy Charter High School, where he worked hard with the administrative team to restructure and implement accountability, academic goals, with positive results: increasing enrollment, and decreasing dropout rate. Most recently, Mr. Wong served as assistant principal at McCartney Ranch Elementary where he helped lead the school through an unprecedented pandemic year while supporting continuity of service for students and families, serving as the school’s testing coordinator, EL coordinator, 504 coordinator, and instructional technology lead.
Mr. Wong has three young boys with his wife of 14 years, who is a fellow educator. His personal interests include science, technology, history, gastronomy, and to travel to Mexico to visit family and learn more about its rich and diverse culture.
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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.