With over 3,000 students and dozens of staff within its walls, it’s hard to keep track of all of the faces in EPHS, even when new ones come in to help run the school. Over the summer, Molly Hollenbeck started her new job as one of the two associate principals . “Being in the principal administration has always been kind of my dream job,” said Hollenbeck.

She is replacing Mary Jodl-Earnhart, who left the position to become the principal of Orono Intermediate School.

While she is new to the job, Hollenbeck is familiar with the building. She is a former teacher in the Special Education department, and the wife of EPHS social studies teacher Craig Hollenbeck. Prior to accepting the associate principal job in Eden Prairie, Hollenbeck held an administrative position in the Edina school district, “all the while kind of missing this place.”

“Working in special education, I was focused on a certain group of kids and now I have this awesome opportunity to be focused on all kids in all systems,” said Hollenbeck

For her first year on the job, Hollenbeck hopes to support each individual student. She hopes to assist teachers in the building focus on the needs of each individual student, by “making sure to the greatest extent to the best of my ability that I am able to support whatever the systems and staff need to make sure that each kid’s needs are met.”

While Hollenbeck will be doing most of her work behind the scenes, she hopes that students will get to know her with time. “I hope that when people start to recognize that I’m here that students will introduce themselves: I love this place, I love talking to kids, I want to know who you are, I want to know about you,” said Hollenbeck