When Susan Sullivan walks down the central hallway of Plant City High School during students’ lunch hour, she is quick to greet familiar faces. It’s only been a few months since Sullivan took over as principal, but she speaks to students as though she’s known them for years.
For many students, she has.
Sullivan was previously principal at Tomlin Middle School. Many of Tomlin’s students go on to attend PCHS.
“It will be really cool to hand them their diploma,” she says.
Besides graduation, there is another event Sullivan is excited for: the upcoming football game between PCHS and Durant High School, where Sullivan’s sister, Pam Bowden, is the principal.
“We support each other’s school, and then we play each other,” Sullivan says. “We’ll be happy for whoever wins. My main hope is that everyone does well.”
Still, she would like to win back the Redman trophy, which originated out of a senior football game between Sullivan’s son, Aaron, and Bowden’s son, Chip. The cousins are six weeks apart.
Some of her other goals for PCHS are more serious. The Plant City native is working on the district’s new focus of preparing students for life. For Sullivan, the new motto isn’t just about preparing students for the day they graduate — it’s about preparing them for their future and for continued success at home in Plant City.
ENCOURAGING GROWTH
This year, PCHS has grown to 2,400 students. Sullivan sees the increase as a blessing.
“It’s a great problem to have, when you have lots of students who want to be here,” Sullivan says.
The administration has seen changes too. Three out of the school’s six administrators are new, including Sullivan. To bring everyone closer together, she held a seminar before the school year began. Through the Strength Finders program, each administrator discovered their personal strengths and the strengths of their coworkers.
“We had just met each other,” Sullivan says. “We really needed to learn a little bit about each other … The nice thing was we found that we have a nice mix of people with different areas of strength.”
One of Sullivan’s main strengths is planning. Most of her family lives in town. They see each other frequently, since many live on the “family compound.” When the family travels, it is Sullivan who makes the reservations and creates the itinerary.
Her planning skills were especially helpful this summer. Before the school year began, Sullivan traveled with Tomlin’s Technology Student Association to Dallas, and with Tomlin’s FFA chapter to Orlando. Her son also got married on June 20 at Plant City’s First Baptist Church.
As the school year progresses, her organization skills will be put to the test. Her calendar remains packed with activities, including football games and school performances.
Even with a busy schedule and a large family, Sullivan still finds time to give back.
THE NEED TO LEAD
Sullivan has a long history of service in the Plant City community. She is a Strawberry Court chaperone for the Florida Strawberry Festival, and this year will help with the dinner that is held on the Monday before the festival begins.
She’s also involved with her church, Plant City’s First Baptist. In addition to being a regular attendee, Sullivan is in the choir and a member of the praise team. In the past, she has taught Sunday school.
Her emphasis on community service is present at both Tomlin and PCHS. While at Tomlin, students brought in over 13,000 pounds of food for canned food drives and raised money for Relay for Life.
At PCHS, Sullivan plans to continue her involvement with Relay for Life. Sullivan’s mother, Ruby Jean Redman, originally brought the event to the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.
“It’s very near and dear to my heart,” Sullivan says. “A lot of staff and friends over the years have had cancer. I want to do my part to help find a cure.”
Sullivan leads by example. Through all of her volunteer efforts, she encourages her students to serve.
“It’s important for kids to see me,” she says. “I want students to be successful in a lot of different arenas. I want kids to have hope that they can live in Plant City and support their family.”
— Emily Topper
Tips for success?
• Focus on your strengths.
• Be willing to work hard and model behavior you want. Don’t ask people to do something you don’t want to do.
• Be approachable and real.
About Susan
Who is your hero?
My dad. He was a man of integrity and strong work ethic. He really encouraged us to do whatever we wanted to do. And my mom too.
Use three words to describe yourself.
People person, competitive, encourager
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
I wake up at 5:15 a.m. I try to go to bed by 10 p.m.
What is the weirdest food you’ve tried?
Probably when I was on a trip to Europe, and we had noodles in what they said was a horse meat sauce.
What message would you put in a fortune cookie?
Work hard, have fun and treasure your family.
