Aug. 8, 2012- As the 2012-13 school year quickly approaches, Jenny McGown will serve as the first principal of Zwink Elementary, a new campus in the Klein ISD. This is the second Klein ISD school McGown has led, as she was previously the principal of Ehrhardt Elementary.

“The opportunity to open a new school is an incredible opportunity,” McGown said. “To be able to establish the culture of a campus from the ground up is very exciting.”

McGown began her teaching career at Klein Collins High School, where she received the school’s teacher of the year honor in 2004-05. McGown progressed into an administrative role and has served as assistant principal at Klein Collins and Benignus Elementary and the associate principal at Brill Elementary.

During her nine years in the Klein ISD, McGown has encouraged academic success and character development. In the classroom, she was noted for creating assignments that recognized students’ talents, celebrated their gifts, and built life-long readers and writers. As an administrator, she feels that the community is just as valuable to the success of a school as are the students and faculty.

“Whether you are talking about the students or staff, the most important thing you can do as a leader is to let people know that you genuinely care about them and that you support them in achieving excellence,” McGown said. “Klein ISD is a special place because everybody in the community contributes to the success of the school and actively supports how the students learn.”

McGown graduated magna cum laude from Texas A&M University and earned her master’s degree from Sam Houston State University. She began her career in education in Uzbekistan, where she worked with students living in extreme poverty. Beyond the school doors, McGown likes to run and has completed several marathons. She also enjoys spending time with her family, which consists of her husband, Brian, and their two children, Joshua and Mary Claire.