PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pauline Cheung, principal of Francis Scott Key Elementary School in South Philadelphia, is an award-winning school administrator.
"What I do in this school community, I take it very personal. I take it to heart," Cheung said.
That commitment to her students and staff recently earned her a Distinguished Principal Leadership Award from the Lindback Foundation. Winners were chosen out of more than 200 candidates who were nominated by their school communities.
The award recognizes leadership and humanitarian contributions and comes with a $20,000 grant, which Cheung has dedicated to expanding her school's library to serve the diverse needs of her students.
Related
"I definitely want to use part of the grant for building not just the school library but classroom libraries — and bringing in more titles that reflect more of our student population," she said.
The Philadelphia native grew up in the northeast part of the city, and she is a product of the School District of Philadelphia. Now, as an educator, she has helped students through uncertain and trying times — from the coronavirus pandemic, through the civil unrest that followed George Floyd's murder, and the rising tide of anti-Asian violence.
Related
"We do community meetings every morning, and that really has shaped how we've been connecting with students, especially with all the crises that have happened this past year," she said.
Cheung says she sees herself in each of her students, building culture and community beyond the walls of her school.
Part of Asian Americans Making a Difference, a KYW Newsradio series in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Each week this month, KYW's Denise Nakano will profile prominent individuals and community groups in the Philadelphia region to draw attention to the contributions of people of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage.