What are this new principal's priorities?

Kesha Bascombe, who has served as assistant principal of Malverne High School for the past 10 years, has been named the school’s new principal, succeeding Vincent Romano.

Bascombe said she has lofty ambitions for the students of Malverne.

“The Malverne School District — with the amount of kids that we have and the love that we have and the nurturing that we put into our community and our kids — I can see that we will take this to different heights,” Bascombe said. “There’s nothing we can’t do.”

An educator for 23 years, Bascombe said her goal is to encourage students to become the best versions of themselves by being lifelong learners and having the confidence to challenge themselves.

“That's part of my philosophy,” she said. “Just stretch yourself a little bit, challenge yourself to something new, because you'd be surprised what you're capable of doing at that moment.”

Bascombe began as a middle school English teacher in New York City. Her passion for literature was the perfect avenue to help kids become knowledgeable and adaptable, setting them up for future success.

She also worked as a literacy coach, and discovered she had a knack for collaborating with fellow teachers to hone their craft and curriculum. She found her calling as an educator working in a high school setting. Bascombe said she enjoys high school students’ level of maturity, and added that she is most effective working with that age group.

Her passion for helping students expand their horizons comes from a desire to see them succeed academically, athletically and in other arenas. Becoming comfortable with facing challenges head-on, she said, will help Malverne students continue to enter college with confidence and readiness. In addition, they can discover themselves in the process.

“It's important for children to just try and do something a little different, because I think that once they hone into trying different things, you can find your passion,” Bascombe said. “You have to have some kind of adventure in part of your life to see that, ‘You know what, I didn't know I could do this.’ It's so much more rewarding when you realize, ‘I didn't limit myself.’”

Bascombe said she has big shoes to fill in replacing Dr. Romano, who was named the district’s new assistant superintendent of educational services after serving as principal of Malverne High for 10 years. But she said she’s more than ready to face the challenge head-on.

“Dr. Romano has left a legacy,” Bascombe said. “He has left an imprint on Malverne High School.”

She added that her goal now is to “make sure I can continue what he has set forth and just put my own spin on it.”

Bascombe said she hoped to build on Romano’s strong foundation by promoting more diverse and rigorous courses. The high school will add Advanced Placement courses like precalculus and African American Studies, she said.

“We do have a lot coming down the pipeline, where kids will have more areas to explore, to learn a little differently and just to challenge themselves,” she said.

Bascombe said she wanted to nurture the maturity and confidence of her students by encouraging them to become more active voices in the forum of the high school. They could become the next president, poet laureate or tech CEO, she said. By giving them the space to be leaders in the district, she hoped to provide them with the foundation to become the leaders of the next generation.

“Part of it is to be a little more student-centered, to hear what the students want as well,” Bascombe said. “These are our future leaders. They should have more of a voice in the input of what they want to do, with our guidance.”

Malverne High students have warmly welcomed Bascombe, who is already a fixture in the school, into her new role, she said. “I think it’s a smooth transition — I get to hit the ground running,” she said. “They know my stamp — that I am firm but fair, and I’m a true advocate for them.”