Emma Theresa Alexander hadn’t stepped foot in Selma before she interviewed for the open position of becoming Selma High School’s next principal.

After her first day on the job Tuesday, it’s clear she’s diving head first into taking on a new challenge.

Alexander met with her faculty after school Tuesday, laying out what others can expect of her and what she expects of them. Just one day into her job, she has a vision of where she wants Selma High School to go.

“Our first goal is to change the culture and the climate of Selma High School,” Alexander said.

Alexander came from the Mobile County Public School System, most recently serving as the assistant principal at Williamson High School. She served as an elementary school principal in Mobile, but this is her first job as head principal at a high school.

Alexander said she was given a warm welcome into Selma High School from the Gentlemen of Excellence Tuesday morning. The friendly greetings continued all day long, with students she hadn’t even met apologizing if they walked by her without saying hello.

Selma’s new principal described her first day as “amazing,” and it has only confirmed the feeling she had that she belonged in Selma despite never visiting prior.

“I know that beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’m here because I’m supposed to be here,” Alexander said. “It just all fell into place.”

Alexander has settled into her office, which looks like she’s already made it her own in just one day. While she’s made quick work of personalizing her office, she doesn’t plan to spend too much time in it.

Although Alexander is the principal, she plans to take on many roles, including teaching in the classroom. When she mentions to others that she is a teacher or a principal, she says it with pride.

“I am not just a teacher. I am a teacher. I am not just an administrator. I am an administrator,” Alexander said.

Alexander looks forward to building relationships with each individual student, getting to know them and helping them grow and learn however she can.

While Alexander has only spent a few weeks in Selma, she is already starting to call the city her home.

She has felt welcomed in the community as well as in school, and hopes and expects the school to prosper under her leadership.

Alexander plans to find any issues that exist in Selma High and work toward creating solutions.

“Whatever it is that we need to fix, we need to fix it together, so we are going to work on changing that culture,” Alexander said.

At the end of the faculty meeting Tuesday afternoon, Alexander encouraged her staff to embrace change. She’s looking forward to pushing Selma High in the right direction, and from the confidence she exuded on just her first day, she sounds more than ready for the challenge.

“I’m not going to say it’s an easy task, but I’m up for the task,” Alexander said.