For those of us who know Ms. LaPorte, it’s surprising to find out that she didn’t always want a career in education. She grew up in the small Southern California town of Cavina. Ms. LaPorte graduated from Charter Oak High School and went on to pursue her major in Communications at UC San Diego. She also took some time studying abroad in Australia at the University of Sydney, in 2001, to focus on Journalism classes. After returning and finishing her degree in Communications, she realized that wasn’t the path for her.
After graduation, she took a role in substitute teaching to make some extra money, which is how she fell in love with education. Alongside being a substitute teacher, she worked towards her master’s degree in educational technology and earning her teaching credentials. Ms. LaPorte also has a second master’s degree in Educational Leadership and an administrator’s license.
Ms. LaPorte had some key teachers in her life who inspired her to later have a career in education. One of these teachers was Ms. Nixon, her junior year English teacher. Even though Ms. Nixon was a strict teacher, Ms. LaPorte says she helped her learn valuable reading and writing skills.
Outside of school, Ms. LaPorte enjoys yoga, skiing, snowboarding, and spending time with her family. Another big part of her life is volunteering. She started her volunteer journey in 2007 at a Guatemalan orphanage. She even volunteered in college with her local public radio station by reading the newspaper for people who are blind or have other visual impairments.
One piece of advice for students Ms. LaPorte shared was “take advantage of everything,” and you only live once, so don’t have any regrets. Ms. LaPorte strongly believes that any student can take the highest level of classes, as long as they have the right mindset and support. As an educator herself, she respects hard working students and wants students to stand up for themselves.
After four years working at Mead High School, Ms. LaPorte is leaving to become the new principal of Soaring Heights K-8 the coming 2026-2027 school year.
