Reporter: Ellie Mahan
August 11, 2023
Whitney Independent School District recently announced changes to its administration team. Former Whitney Middle School Principal Kendra Hensley will now serve as high school principal, and newcomer Jaime Velasco will fill the spot of middle school principal.
Hensley, who served as the middle school principal for two years, is in her 23rd year in the field of education. She came to Whitney from Athens Middle School, where she spent five years as the assistant principal. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Northwestern Oklahoma State University and a Master of Education degree from Stephen F. Austin University.
Hensley cherishes the relationships she has formed with staff, students and families at WMS during the past two years. As she transitions to WHS, she looks forward to the opportunity to continue to build additional connections.
Hensley said, “Supporting and serving staff and students to be the best versions of themselves brings me great joy. Nothing beats the moment a student ‘gets it’ after struggling through a concept. As a leader, I get to celebrate those ‘aha’ moments with staff and students regularly.”
Hensley shared that she grew up in a rural area of northwestern Oklahoma, where her school’s mascot happened to be the Wildcats, with blue and white as the school’s colors. Even though she didn’t grow up in the area, she now feels as though she has become a part of the Whitney Wildcat family.
She gained experience at eight other school districts during the time that her husband was a football coach, and the family was traveling with his job.
Her husband, Tim, is now the Dean of the Disciplinary Alternative Educational Program at Joshua ISD. Their son, Quentin, will graduate from Texas Tech in December. Their daughter, Rylann, is a senior at WHS.
When Hensley is not working, you can find her spending quality time with her family. She says she also enjoys cooking, eating good food, participating in church activities and reading.
The Lakelander 