This story was originally published in the first edition of The Lion’s Tale (October 1, 2019).

Be it at an athletic event or pep rally, or simply in the classroom or the commons during lunch, you’ve probably encountered new principal Dr. Trent Daniel, who’s made it a priority to connect with the student body.

Daniel can hardly be considered an unfamiliar face in the local community. She previously worked as an assistant principal at Oviedo, and her son attended the school. Now, she returns to OHS after most recently serving as the principal for Lake Brantley High School.

This position is only the latest in an extensive and distinguished career for Daniel, who comes from several generations of teachers. She began her journey in education at Virginia Tech, where she originally majored in biochemistry and psychology. It was here that she was offered a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in science education.

Daniel has since worked as an educator in several Seminole County schools in addition to Oviedo and Lake Brantley, such as Lake Mary, Hagerty, and Winter Springs High Schools, and earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Florida.

According to Daniel, her ties to the area were an important factor in her decision to return to Oviedo.

“When Mr. Gaudreau [SCPS Executive Director of Secondary Schools] called me asking me if I would come to Oviedo High School, he asked me how my family would feel about it, and I said my family would 100% support me coming to Oviedo,” said Daniel. “A lot has happened in Oviedo in the last couple years, so I felt like coming back I could fill a need Oviedo had, and I’m close to home, and I love this community so I wanted to come back.”

Her relationship with the community was further strengthened through the experience of her son Britton, the president of his senior class and a well known figure throughout the school and county. Britton was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma in August of last year, and began chemotherapy shortly after.

The Oviedo community rallied to support Britton, who wore number 11 as a tight end on the football team, through the “#B11STRONG” campaign. Yellow t-shirts sporting the mantra became popular at schools throughout Seminole County, and a GoFundMe set up in support of the family raised over 50,000 dollars.

“I don’t think Britton would be alive without the help of the school and the community… you’re very isolated when you’re going through that, so continually him knowing that you guys were wanting him to go into remission really helped him and my family,” Daniel said.

According to the veteran educator, the transition to the position of principal has gone smoothly, and she will now set her sights on maintaining the practices that have earned Oviedo an “A+” grade for nine consecutive years, while also helping the school improve in certain areas.

One metric which Daniel is looking to improve is the school’s graduation rate. According to U.S News & World Reports, Oviedo’s graduation rate for the 2018-2019 school year was 91%. The average graduation rate in the state of Florida was eight points lower at 83%, but the new principal sees room for improvement.

“The only area that we need to improve on is graduating our students,” Daniel said. “Mostly, they get frustrated, and stop earning credits and then they drop out, so one thing we need to work on is keeping them in school, keeping [the seniors] earning their credits so they can graduate.”

Above all, Daniel is focused on helping students with whatever they need to achieve success.

“I think if [students] need help, they need to know that they can come to me and I’ll try to help them,” Daniel said. “I don’t think that’s something that a lot of students think of their principal, but that’s my primary job.”

Be it at an athletic event or pep rally, or simply in the classroom or the commons during lunch, you’ve probably encountered new principal Dr. Trent Daniel, who’s made it a priority to connect with the student body.

Daniel can hardly be considered an unfamiliar face in the local community. She previously worked as an assistant principal at Oviedo, and her son attended the school. Now, she returns to OHS after most recently serving as the principal for Lake Brantley High School.

This position is only the latest in an extensive and distinguished career for Daniel, who comes from several generations of teachers. She began her journey in education at Virginia Tech, where she originally majored in biochemistry and psychology. It was here that she was offered a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in science education.

Daniel has since worked as an educator in several Seminole County schools in addition to Oviedo and Lake Brantley, such as Lake Mary, Hagerty, and Winter Springs High Schools, and earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Florida.

According to Daniel, her ties to the area were an important factor in her decision to return to Oviedo.

“When Mr. Gaudreau [SCPS Executive Director of Secondary Schools] called me asking me if I would come to Oviedo High School, he asked me how my family would feel about it, and I said my family would 100% support me coming to Oviedo,” said Daniel. “A lot has happened in Oviedo in the last couple years, so I felt like coming back I could fill a need Oviedo had, and I’m close to home, and I love this community so I wanted to come back.”

Her relationship with the community was further strengthened through the experience of her son Britton, the president of his senior class and a well known figure throughout the school and county. Britton was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma in August of last year, and began chemotherapy shortly after.

The Oviedo community rallied to support Britton, who wore number 11 as a tight end on the football team, through the “#B11STRONG” campaign. Yellow t-shirts sporting the mantra became popular at schools throughout Seminole County, and a GoFundMe set up in support of the family raised over 50,000 dollars.

“I don’t think Britton would be alive without the help of the school and the community… you’re very isolated when you’re going through that, so continually him knowing that you guys were wanting him to go into remission really helped him and my family,” Daniel said.

According to the veteran educator, the transition to the position of principal has gone smoothly, and she will now set her sights on maintaining the practices that have earned Oviedo an “A+” grade for nine consecutive years, while also helping the school improve in certain areas.

One metric which Daniel is looking to improve is the school’s graduation rate. According to U.S News & World Reports, Oviedo’s graduation rate for the 2018-2019 school year was 91%. The average graduation rate in the state of Florida was eight points lower at 83%, but the new principal sees room for improvement.

“The only area that we need to improve on is graduating our students,” Daniel said. “Mostly, they get frustrated, and stop earning credits and then they drop out, so one thing we need to work on is keeping them in school, keeping [the seniors] earning their credits so they can graduate.”

Above all, Daniel is focused on helping students with whatever they need to achieve success.

“I think if [students] need help, they need to know that they can come to me and I’ll try to help them,” Daniel said. “I don’t think that’s something that a lot of students think of their principal, but that’s my primary job.”

Be it at an athletic event or pep rally, or simply in the classroom or the commons during lunch, you’ve probably encountered new principal Dr. Trent Daniel, who’s made it a priority to connect with the student body.

Daniel can hardly be considered an unfamiliar face in the local community. She previously worked as an assistant principal at Oviedo, and her son attended the school. Now, she returns to OHS after most recently serving as the principal for Lake Brantley High School.

This position is only the latest in an extensive and distinguished career for Daniel, who comes from several generations of teachers. She began her journey in education at Virginia Tech, where she originally majored in biochemistry and psychology. It was here that she was offered a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in science education.

Daniel has since worked as an educator in several Seminole County schools in addition to Oviedo and Lake Brantley, such as Lake Mary, Hagerty, and Winter Springs High Schools, and earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Florida.

According to Daniel, her ties to the area were an important factor in her decision to return to Oviedo.

“When Mr. Gaudreau [SCPS Executive Director of Secondary Schools] called me asking me if I would come to Oviedo High School, he asked me how my family would feel about it, and I said my family would 100% support me coming to Oviedo,” said Daniel. “A lot has happened in Oviedo in the last couple years, so I felt like coming back I could fill a need Oviedo had, and I’m close to home, and I love this community so I wanted to come back.”

Her relationship with the community was further strengthened through the experience of her son Britton, the president of his senior class and a well known figure throughout the school and county. Britton was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma in August of last year, and began chemotherapy shortly after.

The Oviedo community rallied to support Britton, who wore number 11 as a tight end on the football team, through the “#B11STRONG” campaign. Yellow t-shirts sporting the mantra became popular at schools throughout Seminole County, and a GoFundMe set up in support of the family raised over 50,000 dollars.

“I don’t think Britton would be alive without the help of the school and the community… you’re very isolated when you’re going through that, so continually him knowing that you guys were wanting him to go into remission really helped him and my family,” Daniel said.

According to the veteran educator, the transition to the position of principal has gone smoothly, and she will now set her sights on maintaining the practices that have earned Oviedo an “A+” grade for nine consecutive years, while also helping the school improve in certain areas.

One metric which Daniel is looking to improve is the school’s graduation rate. According to U.S News & World Reports, Oviedo’s graduation rate for the 2018-2019 school year was 91%. The average graduation rate in the state of Florida was eight points lower at 83%, but the new principal sees room for improvement.

“The only area that we need to improve on is graduating our students,” Daniel said. “Mostly, they get frustrated, and stop earning credits and then they drop out, so one thing we need to work on is keeping them in school, keeping [the seniors] earning their credits so they can graduate.”

Above all, Daniel is focused on helping students with whatever they need to achieve success.

“I think if [students] need help, they need to know that they can come to me and I’ll try to help them,” Daniel said. “I don’t think that’s something that a lot of students think of their principal, but that’s my primary job.”

Be it at an athletic event or pep rally, or simply in the classroom or the commons during lunch, you’ve probably encountered new principal Dr. Trent Daniel, who’s made it a priority to connect with the student body.

Daniel can hardly be considered an unfamiliar face in the local community. She previously worked as an assistant principal at Oviedo, and her son attended the school. Now, she returns to OHS after most recently serving as the principal for Lake Brantley High School.

This position is only the latest in an extensive and distinguished career for Daniel, who comes from several generations of teachers. She began her journey in education at Virginia Tech, where she originally majored in biochemistry and psychology. It was here that she was offered a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in science education.

Daniel has since worked as an educator in several Seminole County schools in addition to Oviedo and Lake Brantley, such as Lake Mary, Hagerty, and Winter Springs High Schools, and earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Florida.

According to Daniel, her ties to the area were an important factor in her decision to return to Oviedo.

“When Mr. Gaudreau [SCPS Executive Director of Secondary Schools] called me asking me if I would come to Oviedo High School, he asked me how my family would feel about it, and I said my family would 100% support me coming to Oviedo,” said Daniel. “A lot has happened in Oviedo in the last couple years, so I felt like coming back I could fill a need Oviedo had, and I’m close to home, and I love this community so I wanted to come back.”

Her relationship with the community was further strengthened through the experience of her son Britton, the president of his senior class and a well known figure throughout the school and county. Britton was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma in August of last year, and began chemotherapy shortly after.

The Oviedo community rallied to support Britton, who wore number 11 as a tight end on the football team, through the “#B11STRONG” campaign. Yellow t-shirts sporting the mantra became popular at schools throughout Seminole County, and a GoFundMe set up in support of the family raised over 50,000 dollars.

“I don’t think Britton would be alive without the help of the school and the community… you’re very isolated when you’re going through that, so continually him knowing that you guys were wanting him to go into remission really helped him and my family,” Daniel said.

According to the veteran educator, the transition to the position of principal has gone smoothly, and she will now set her sights on maintaining the practices that have earned Oviedo an “A+” grade for nine consecutive years, while also helping the school improve in certain areas.

One metric which Daniel is looking to improve is the school’s graduation rate. According to U.S News & World Reports, Oviedo’s graduation rate for the 2018-2019 school year was 91%. The average graduation rate in the state of Florida was eight points lower at 83%, but the new principal sees room for improvement.

“The only area that we need to improve on is graduating our students,” Daniel said. “Mostly, they get frustrated, and stop earning credits and then they drop out, so one thing we need to work on is keeping them in school, keeping [the seniors] earning their credits so they can graduate.”

Above all, Daniel is focused on helping students with whatever they need to achieve success.

“I think if [students] need help, they need to know that they can come to me and I’ll try to help them,” Daniel said. “I don’t think that’s something that a lot of students think of their principal, but that’s my primary job.”

Be it at an athletic event or pep rally, or simply in the classroom or the commons during lunch, you’ve probably encountered new principal Dr. Trent Daniel, who’s made it a priority to connect with the student body.

Daniel can hardly be considered an unfamiliar face in the local community. She previously worked as an assistant principal at Oviedo, and her son attended the school. Now, she returns to OHS after most recently serving as the principal for Lake Brantley High School.

This position is only the latest in an extensive and distinguished career for Daniel, who comes from several generations of teachers. She began her journey in education at Virginia Tech, where she originally majored in biochemistry and psychology. It was here that she was offered a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in science education.

Daniel has since worked as an educator in several Seminole County schools in addition to Oviedo and Lake Brantley, such as Lake Mary, Hagerty, and Winter Springs High Schools, and earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Florida.

According to Daniel, her ties to the area were an important factor in her decision to return to Oviedo.

“When Mr. Gaudreau [SCPS Executive Director of Secondary Schools] called me asking me if I would come to Oviedo High School, he asked me how my family would feel about it, and I said my family would 100% support me coming to Oviedo,” said Daniel. “A lot has happened in Oviedo in the last couple years, so I felt like coming back I could fill a need Oviedo had, and I’m close to home, and I love this community so I wanted to come back.”

Her relationship with the community was further strengthened through the experience of her son Britton, the president of his senior class and a well known figure throughout the school and county. Britton was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma in August of last year, and began chemotherapy shortly after.

The Oviedo community rallied to support Britton, who wore number 11 as a tight end on the football team, through the “#B11STRONG” campaign. Yellow t-shirts sporting the mantra became popular at schools throughout Seminole County, and a GoFundMe set up in support of the family raised over 50,000 dollars.

“I don’t think Britton would be alive without the help of the school and the community… you’re very isolated when you’re going through that, so continually him knowing that you guys were wanting him to go into remission really helped him and my family,” Daniel said.

According to the veteran educator, the transition to the position of principal has gone smoothly, and she will now set her sights on maintaining the practices that have earned Oviedo an “A+” grade for nine consecutive years, while also helping the school improve in certain areas.

One metric which Daniel is looking to improve is the school’s graduation rate. According to U.S News & World Reports, Oviedo’s graduation rate for the 2018-2019 school year was 91%. The average graduation rate in the state of Florida was eight points lower at 83%, but the new principal sees room for improvement.

“The only area that we need to improve on is graduating our students,” Daniel said. “Mostly, they get frustrated, and stop earning credits and then they drop out, so one thing we need to work on is keeping them in school, keeping [the seniors] earning their credits so they can graduate.”

Above all, Daniel is focused on helping students with whatever they need to achieve success.

“I think if [students] need help, they need to know that they can come to me and I’ll try to help them,” Daniel said. “I don’t think that’s something that a lot of students think of their principal, but that’s my primary job.”

Be it at an athletic event or pep rally, or simply in the classroom or the commons during lunch, you’ve probably encountered new principal Dr. Trent Daniel, who’s made it a priority to connect with the student body.

Daniel can hardly be considered an unfamiliar face in the local community. She previously worked as an assistant principal at Oviedo, and her son attended the school. Now, she returns to OHS after most recently serving as the principal for Lake Brantley High School.

This position is only the latest in an extensive and distinguished career for Daniel, who comes from several generations of teachers. She began her journey in education at Virginia Tech, where she originally majored in biochemistry and psychology. It was here that she was offered a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in science education.

Daniel has since worked as an educator in several Seminole County schools in addition to Oviedo and Lake Brantley, such as Lake Mary, Hagerty, and Winter Springs High Schools, and earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Florida.

According to Daniel, her ties to the area were an important factor in her decision to return to Oviedo.

“When Mr. Gaudreau [SCPS Executive Director of Secondary Schools] called me asking me if I would come to Oviedo High School, he asked me how my family would feel about it, and I said my family would 100% support me coming to Oviedo,” said Daniel. “A lot has happened in Oviedo in the last couple years, so I felt like coming back I could fill a need Oviedo had, and I’m close to home, and I love this community so I wanted to come back.”

Her relationship with the community was further strengthened through the experience of her son Britton, the president of his senior class and a well known figure throughout the school and county. Britton was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma in August of last year, and began chemotherapy shortly after.

The Oviedo community rallied to support Britton, who wore number 11 as a tight end on the football team, through the “#B11STRONG” campaign. Yellow t-shirts sporting the mantra became popular at schools throughout Seminole County, and a GoFundMe set up in support of the family raised over 50,000 dollars.

“I don’t think Britton would be alive without the help of the school and the community… you’re very isolated when you’re going through that, so continually him knowing that you guys were wanting him to go into remission really helped him and my family,” Daniel said.

According to the veteran educator, the transition to the position of principal has gone smoothly, and she will now set her sights on maintaining the practices that have earned Oviedo an “A+” grade for nine consecutive years, while also helping the school improve in certain areas.

One metric which Daniel is looking to improve is the school’s graduation rate. According to U.S News & World Reports, Oviedo’s graduation rate for the 2018-2019 school year was 91%. The average graduation rate in the state of Florida was eight points lower at 83%, but the new principal sees room for improvement.

“The only area that we need to improve on is graduating our students,” Daniel said. “Mostly, they get frustrated, and stop earning credits and then they drop out, so one thing we need to work on is keeping them in school, keeping [the seniors] earning their credits so they can graduate.”

Above all, Daniel is focused on helping students with whatever they need to achieve success.

“I think if [students] need help, they need to know that they can come to me and I’ll try to help them,” Daniel said. “I don’t think that’s something that a lot of students think of their principal, but that’s my primary job.”