LHS names Cynthia Porter as new principal

Experienced educator looks forward to returning to Wyoming

At Monday night’s meeting, the School District No. 2 Board of Trustees approved Cynthia Porter as the new principal of Lovell High School.

Porter brings a wide range of experience in both teaching and administration, along with a clear enthusiasm for returning to Wyoming, a place she considers home.

“I love everything about Wyoming,” Porter said. “I think of Wyoming as my home.”

Originally from Wisconsin, Porter holds degrees in mathematics and secondary education from Michigan Technological University, as well as a doctorate in educational leadership and curriculum from the University of Phoenix.

She previously lived in Wyoming, where she began teaching high school math in Douglas in 2010. After returning to Wisconsin to help care for her parents, she said she always hoped for an opportunity to return and continue her career in the state.

“When I saw the Lovell High School principal’s job, I knew that it was a wonderful community,” she said. “I’ve been through there several times, and I just thought, ‘Why not apply and see what happens?’”

Porter currently serves as Director of Secondary Programming and Post-Secondary Readiness in a district of roughly 11,700 students, working with grades 6 through 12. In that role, she has focused on curriculum, instruction and helping students prepare for life after graduation, whether that path leads to college, careers or other opportunities.

That focus aligns closely with her passion for high school education.

“For me, high school is the end of the road for kids,” she said. “It’s our last opportunity to really help them launch into their adult selves and their next big steps for the rest of their lives.”

Porter’s career began in the military, where she served four years on active duty in the Air Force and six years in the Army National Guard. She later earned a degree in mathematics and became a high school math teacher, eventually completing a doctorate in educational leadership, curriculum and instruction in 2015.

“I taught for eight years, and the last eight have been in administration,” she said.

Outside of education, Porter said Wyoming’s landscape played a major role in her desire to return.

“I didn’t even know I was a hiker until I lived in Wyoming,” she said. “You can live at 5,000 feet and then, in an hour, be at 10,000. I just fell in love with being outside.”

She also enjoys do-it-yourself projects and building furniture, and she is the mother of two adult daughters, one who lives in Arizona and another who is attending the University of South Dakota. Porter is also preparing to become a grandmother in the coming weeks, something she said she is especially excited about.

As she prepares for the transition to Lovell, Porter said she is eager to become part of the community and begin working with students, staff and families.

“I’m looking forward to it,” she said. “I know it’s a great community, and I’m excited to get started.”