Glen Cove High School graduate to serve as principal in his hometown

When Allen Hudson graduated from Glen Cove High School in 1991, he had a conversation with his friends that would serve to foreshadow his future. Back then he told them, “I’ll be back.”

Hudson was appointed principal of Glen Cove High School on June 8, after 16 years as its assistant principal. And he is the first Black principal in the school’s history.

Hudson, 49, who has lived in Glen Cove his whole life, said his aspiration had always been to come back to his high school to help his community in any way he could.

Hudson attended Connolly Elementary School, Robert M. Finley Middle School and Glen Cove High School. He was a star athlete at the high school, the quarterback of the football team, and captain of the basketball team. He went on to earn a basketball scholarship to Dowling College.

Although Hudson always knew he would someday help the Glen Cove community he believed it would be through athletics. While his mother, Betty, owned a business in Glen Cove, Hudson’s father, Alan Hudson, was a well-known boxer, who fought Muhammad Ali when he was known as Cassius Clay.

With Hudson’s athletic background and natural talent, he had aspiration of becoming an NBA basketball player. “I used to say a prayer every night saying, please allow me to become an NBA basketball player and I’ll come back to the community and help out,” Hudson said. “But the saying is, man plans and God laughs.”

While Hudson earned a scholarship for basketball a knee injury would curtail his NBA aspirations. But that did not deter him from his goal of helping Glen Cove.

Hudson began his now 24-year career in education as a social studies teacher at Intermediate School 059 in Springfield Gardens, Queens in 1997. In 2000, he went on to become a student support advisor at South Walt Whitman High School in Huntington. Then he became an administrative dean of students at Baldwin Senior High School. While there, Francine Santoro, now the principal at Gribbin Elementary School, told Hudson there was an assistant principal opening at the high school and asked if he was interested.

Throughout Hudson’s career, he has had many people to thank, including two that were influential in his decision to pursue education. Donny Seaman, Hudson’s neighbor, and a program coordinator at the Boys and Girls Club was one. “He taught me the importance of pouring one’s energy into youth,” Hudson said.

The other individual was Vinny Chopard, Hudson’s sixth-grade English teacher. Chopard, Hudson said, changed the trajectory of his life.

“Within the first week of school at Finley Middle School, he noticed that I was misplaced educationally and he did everything he could to make sure that I was moved up to a higher level in a higher academic group,” Hudson explained.

“This made a lasting impression on me and demonstrated the impact just one person can have on another person’s life and truly influenced me to go into education,” he said.

Hudson says he lives his life based on one of his favorite quotes from the late poet Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

When asked about how Hudson will fare in his first year as principal, Glen Cove Superintendent Maria Rianna said she believes he will have a positive tenure.

“He knows many people in the community, has a great rapport with students, and works really well with students and fellow administrators,” she said. “I think he will do an excellent job.”

Audre Lynn Hurston James, a Glen Cove School board member, echoed Rianna’s sentiments. “I think Glen Cove couldn’t have made a better choice,” she said. “He’s a part of the community from the roots up and he has an organic relationship with and connects with the kids and the parents and he connects with the families.”

“There are people where without having ever spoken a word to them their vibe just reaches out to you and that’s Mr. Hudson,” James said. “Now I get to work with him. I couldn’t ask for a better choice.”

Hudson has learned a lot in his career in education and believes this knowledge will serve him well in his new role as principal.

“You need to be a good listener so that you really get an understanding of what a person is telling you,” he said. “I try to teach students that their daily decisions will result in positive or negative consequences.”

As principal, Hudson wants to continue to improve the morale of both the students and staff at GCHS, work collaboratively with the staff to raise the level of expectation, and promote an attitude of excellence.

When asked if it is meaningful for Hudson to be the first Black principal, he said it’s a testament to how far society has come. He added that he’s excited to begin his first day as principal on Sept. 1.

“It’s meaningful to me as well as the community. It shows that we’ve made great strides as a school district, and moreover, I would not be in this position without the support from everyone in this great community,” he said. “I’m excited and honored to continue my calling, and my career as an educator, here in my own hometown of Glen Cove.”