Dr. Tom Kenworthy is one of two finalists in the Rhode Island Association of School Principals to be considered for national entry of high school principal of the year. The competition chooses principals from all different levels of education across the state. The finalists are then entered into the national competition, where they get the chance to be named the best principal of the year.

Dr. Kenworthy said, “It is part of a national recognition program, and the winners go on to the national competition, so this is what I am a finalist for, high school principal of the year.”

Students may think of being principal as simply running a school, focused only on the educational side of the institution that teenagers spend more waking hours at than their own home, but Dr. Kenworthy shows us a different side of the job.

NKHS educates around 1,400 students every year, each with a different background and personality. While the task of getting to know as many students as possible seems daunting, it is just what Kenworthy loves best about his job. He said, “My favorite part is definitely the connections with students. I wish there could be more knowing students on that personal level, especially seeing how you grow from freshman to senior year.”

However, it is also one of the hardest parts of the job. Kenworthy said, “I think one of the biggest challenges is that it’s a big place, both physically and in the number of students, and so trying to have those personal connections can sometimes be challenging. There’s a lot on any given day for me to try to keep up with, and you want to do the best you can and feel like you’re making a difference.”

Kenworthy was a social studies teacher until becoming an assistant principal and then principal, and the class of 2014 will be the first group of students he has watched grow from freshman to seniors at NKHS. Kenworthy really enjoys the ability as principal to watch an entire class grow and learn instead of the smaller amount of students teachers get to know. He said that he enjoys being a part of students’ lives, from attending musicals to soccer games, he tries to support the NKHS community as best he can.

Kenworthy has some parting words for this year’s senior as graduation begins to be a visible goal. He said, “Make sure you’re making the right decisions, no matter what it is you want to do, because we want to be able to support every decision you make.”