New HHS AP Gamal Smith
Embraces Role
With his first four months on the job successfully under his belt, Gamal Smith is relishing his new role as a Huntington High School assistant principal. The veteran educator was appointed last summer and came ready, willing and able to make a difference in life around the building.
“What immediately caught my attention is that the high school is an incredibly close-knit community,” Mr. Smith said. “The school has deep rooted traditions and is a staple within the community. It is extremely welcoming for people like myself, who are new to Blue Devil family.”
Mr. Smith obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and pre-med studies at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, where he also played on the varsity basketball team for four years. He earned a Master of Science degree at Mercy College in the Bronx and studied for his state administrative certification at Touro College in Manhattan.
“The faculty is a hard working group that truly cares about the well-being of the students,” said Mr. Smith about the teachers he has encountered in Huntington. “They come early and stay late and are always looking for ways to improve their craft. I’ve witnessed the adults in this building go above and beyond to give encouragement and support both in and out of the classroom. But I’m not just referring to the teachers alone. The deans, the secretaries, the security staff, the custodians, the kitchen staff; everyone here pulls together to give the students the support that they need to be successful.”
After several years as an assistant principal, Brenden Cusack was elevated to the high school principal’s position upon the retirement of then principal Carmela Leonardi at the conclusion of the 2014/15 school year. Mr. Cusack led the search for two new assistant principals. The committee recommended Mr. Smith and Joseph DiTroia to the Huntington School Board, which voted unanimously to hire the pair.
The two new assistant principals are working closely with Mr. Cusack and faculty members to give students the best high school experience possible. The trio are “out and about” in hallways and classrooms and every other nook and cranny around the building each day.
Loves working with new principal
“Our other AP, Mr. DiTroia, although he is new to our school as well, is ‘all in’ and is often here late with me, giving the school 110 percent,” Mr. Smith said. “This mentality begins with our principal, Mr. Cusack. If you’re not sure what it means to put your heart into what you do, just watch him. He’s never too busy to stop and listen to anyone, whether it be a student, a parent or a staff member. He’s the kind of principal that you love to work for.”
Getting to know more than 1,400 students and about 200 teachers and support staff members is no easy task. It’s a large building with a lot going on during the regular school day and after school hours.
“I try to put myself out there as much as I can,” Mr. Smith said. “One way that I’ve gotten to know not only the students, but the parents as well is by being outside in the morning when the students are dropped off and are getting off the bus and also at dismissal. Just by saying good morning to our students as they’re walking into the building has often been the door to a casual conversation and getting to know someone. It doesn’t take much to say, ‘good morning” and smile. Often times you’ll find that it can pick up someone’s day. Throughout the day you can find me walking the halls, passing through the cafeteria talking to students and always making a point to say hi to them.”
Mr. Smith has already been spotted at numerous functions, including some athletic games. “I’ve made an effort to get out to as many of the school’s events as possible,” he said. “I believe that it’s important to support our students in their extracurricular activities. As a matter of fact, I’m really excited to check out the play this Saturday. It should be great.”
Prior to joining Huntington’s administrative ranks, Mr. Smith worked as a teacher and lab instructor at Richmond Hill High School and John Adams High School, where he also served as dean of students. He was assistant principal at John W. Dodd Middle School in Freeport, dean of students/discipline at Brooklyn Lab School, assistant principal and science department chairman at Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health & Science Charter School in the Bronx, assistant principal at PS 212 in the Bronx and dean of students and a science teacher at PS 254 in the Bronx. He was also principal of Nassau BOCES PATH (Positive Alternative Twilight High School) for a year.
Strong advocate of extracurricular activities
Huntington’s new AP is a strong proponent of extracurricular activities. “I’ve always believed that school is what you make of it,” Mr. Smith said. “It is imperative that our students get involved in something, whether it be a sport or a club. It not only helps you to become a part of the school community beyond the academics, but it also helps you develop that Blue Devil pride. Our school has something for everyone.”
Mr. Smith’s parents believed in the value of participating in as many activities as time permitted. “Growing up, my parents made it clear that we couldn’t just go to school,” he said. “We had to find something to get involved in. For my brother and me, it was sports. I was a three-sport athlete and was on a team all year round. The lessons of teamwork, selflessness, sacrifice, synergy, humility and family that I learned from sports are invaluable. Getting involved in the extracurricular activities also taught me essential time management skills that served me well not only in college, but in life.”
As Mr. Smith settles into his new position and embraces life in Huntington, he is quickly learning what helps make the school a special place.
“One of my first memories of being part of the Blue Devil family was in September, when I just decided to go for a walk outside after school,” Mr. Smith said. “As I stood at the school’s entrance on McKay Road and looked out onto the campus, every field was full. What a sight to see. It was incredible. I began to think of how amazing it is that our school has so many sports and clubs and activities that our students can get involved in that can keep them out of the other things that can land them in trouble.”
Over the years, Mr. Smith has helped spearhead many initiatives at schools where he has worked, including Saturday, after school, extended day and early college awareness programs and science fairs and expos.
Taking HHS to the next level
“My focus this year is to help Mr. Cusack take our school to the next level,” Mr. Smith said. “Mr. DiTroia and I are here to help Huntington High School become one of the best schools on Long Island, in New York State and in the nation. It’s funny, our school reminds me a lot of my high school back home in Toronto. There were so many things to get involved in. Like Huntington, we also have a rich and deep-rooted athletic history and we’re also the top academic school in the city. Oh, and did I mention that our colors are also blue and white?”
Mr. Smith has been assigned specific responsibilities within the school and he is working hard to meet the high expectations of Mr. Cusack and district officials. “I come in every day determined to leave this building better than it was the day before,” he said.
The varied experiences that he has already enjoyed in his personal and professional lives are being put to good use in his new role. “You know, it’s funny,” Mr. Smith said as he reflected. “Life hasn’t been easy. Just the other day my daughter, who’s a senior in high school, was asking my wife and I some really interesting questions about life and moving on to the next stage of her life in university. It made me stop and think about the long and arduous road that I’ve taken to get to this point in my life. But, that journey has made me thankful and appreciative of the opportunity that Mr. Polansky and Mr. Cusack have given me.”
Compelling personal story
Most of the Huntington High School community doesn’t know Mr. Smith’s personal story. It’s a compelling one and it offers a glimpse of what has gone into making him the person he is today.
“My parents were immigrants from Jamaica and came to Toronto with whatever they could carry to give my brother and me a better life,” Mr. Smith said. “They never let a day go by without reminding us of the sacrifices they made and that we had a responsibility to go further in life than they were able to. Growing up, we didn’t have much, but we never felt poor and always felt loved. My parents set a good example of what hard work can get you. Both of them went to school at night while working two jobs and earned their bachelor’s degrees. They took us from the projects to a condominium, to a house. It’s that never say die and never be satisfied attitude that they instilled in me, and that I now try to instill in my children and our students, that has led me here. By always wanting to improve and be the best at whatever it was that I was doing, I have managed to find a home and a family here in Huntington.”
Mr. Smith understands that along with his position comes role model status for many of the teenagers attending the high school. He is well on his way to forging strong bonds when students on every grade level.
“I try to use myself as an example to our students,” Mr. Smith said. “To show them that it doesn’t matter where you come from or what you’ve gone through in the past. It doesn’t matter if you’ve made mistakes. What matters is that you’re willing to listen, learn and work hard for whatever it is that you want. You’re going to be tested. You’re going to fall. But, as my mother used to tell us, if you get knocked down a million times, then you’ve got to get up a million and one times. True champions always find a way to turn tragedy into triumph. The Blue Devil community is full of champions. It’s my job to help them find the champion within themselves.”