After a four-month search for a new official principal for Akins High School, Brandi Hosack was appointed Monday by the Austin school board.

Hosack was the school’s interim principal from January 2015 until April 2015. She has worked at Akins for 11 years now. She briefly taught at another school as a Biology teacher.

She started off her teaching career as a student teacher at Akins before rising to the principal position.

“I could not be more proud, thrilled and more honored and I did start at this school as a student teacher,” Hosack said during a Tuesday morning meeting to announce her appointment to the Akins faculty and staff.

During the meeting, Hosack said that she did not want to start over in terms of the effort that school puts forth to educate students. Instead, she said she wants to pick up and continue the work that was already underway under previous Principal Daniel Girard.

“It’s time to continue the good work and take Akins from good to absolutely outstanding,” she said.

Teachers and students expressed excitement to see Hosack become the new leader of Akins.

“She is going to continue the great systems we already have and be innovative with new system to support pushing us even further,” said Regina McGough, school improvement facilitator. “We have a good school but I think she is going to make us exceptional. She is going to shepard new ideas and make us push ourselves to do the best for every student every day and every year.”

Senior Valentina Tovar said that she thinks that Hosack will lead Akins in the same manner she did when she served as the interim leader.

“She has stepped into leading our school wholeheartedly and with the genuine passion of making learning experience and environment better each day,” Tovar said.

Hosack first started off as a student teacher then as a teacher, later AP, director, interim principal and now the new and official principal of Akins High School.

“I feel that Ms. Hosack will do an amazing job as a leader here and I know through her integrity and honesty and good character which is going to pour into our teachers, students and she will be taking us to the exceptional level,” Coach Jane Martin said.