ECU alumnus receives state Principal of the Year award

East Carolina University alumnus Dr. Patrick Greene was selected as this year’s Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year during an awards ceremony in Raleigh.

“It was certainly a bit surreal,” he said. “As the shock has started to wear off, I’m proud of what this means for the work that my students, school staff and community have done. I would never be here without their hard work and support. This award is as much theirs as it is mine.”

ECU alumnus Dr. Patrick Greene is the recipient of the 2022 Wells Fargo Principal of the Year award. (Contributed photo)

Greene is a four-time ECU alumnus receiving his bachelor’s in history education, master’s in school administration, education specialist degree and doctorate in education from the College of Education.

“Winning principal of the year is the most prestigious recognition of a principal’s work and impact on student learning and development,” said Dr. Marjorie Ringler, chair of the education leadership department. “Dr. Greene has demonstrated his excellent leadership skills throughout the various programs he completed at ECU.”

Greene is the principal at Greene Central High School in Snow Hill. In his eyes, being a good leader centers on empowering others.

“I believe that it is my job to try to hire good people, give them the tools to be successful and eliminate as many barriers as possible that stand in their way,” he said. “I work with students, teachers and community members to guide a vision of what our school can become, and I work to protect that image. I cannot be all things to all people, so I have to grow leaders everywhere in our school.”

The mentality of growing leaders at home is one that inspired his own journey into the field of education, especially as a first-generation college student.

“I had amazing teachers in high school that took the time to mentor me,” he said. “My teachers inspired me to apply for the N.C. Teaching Fellows scholarship and I was fortunate enough to earn a spot.”

Those same teachers would later encourage Greene to pursue additional education to become a school administrator. He has emulated their mentoring style for the students at Greene Central.

“Dr. Greene is honest, compassionate and a caring servant leader,” Ringler said. “He is always looking to improve the educational experiences for his students. When you walk the hallways of his school you see students engaged in learning while having fun. Teachers that are part of his team are always learning new pedagogies, working together and inspiring students to reach their maximum potential by recognizing their strengths.”

During his time at Greene Central, Greene has helped build the STEM program as well as the Career and Technical courses and the arts programs.

“We have worked hard to provide an environment where all students can feel like school provides them with what they need,” he said. “Our students come from diverse backgrounds and have different plans for what they want to do in their next phase of life. Our job was to find ways to help them be successful, no matter what those goals were.”

A passion of Greene’s is helping undocumented children access higher education. As a part of his doctorate in education, Greene completed a dissertation where he listened to and investigated the lived experiences of Hispanic and undocumented students and used this research to improve the culture of his high school for those students.

“I believe that the American dream is available to everyone that works hard enough to achieve it and these students should be no exception,” he said. “Today, I continue to work with undocumented students to try to find avenues for educational advancement so they can fulfill their career goals. This is difficult work, but it is very fulfilling.”

As the recipient of the Wells Fargo Principal of the Year, Greene will receive professional development at the Global Education Symposium in Boston as well as prize money for personal use and for his school, an engraved vase, a custom Jostens ring and resources to combat child hunger from No Kid Hungry NC. Greene will also serve as an ambassador throughout the state over the next year.