Northview — Although she’s lived in West Michigan for some time now, An Kurosu’s career in education has global roots.
The new principal at West Oakview Elementary was born in Japan and spent the first part of her childhood in Honduras, thanks to her father’s job. The family moved to Michigan when Kurosu was in fourth grade.
“It was a definite change in weather, from tropical temps to blizzards — I still remember my red Lands End winter coat,” she recalls.
But it was Honduras that captured her heart and inspired her career plans. In first grade, Kurosu developed a special bond with her teacher, who demonstrated the joy of teaching while encouraging Kurosu’s leadership skills. The two kept in touch as pen pals even through college, adulthood and her teacher’s retirement.
“She really poured into me and had such a big impact on my life,” Kurosu said of her teacher, who has since died. “She would always tell me, ‘You are a natural leader,’ or ‘You’re going to be a teacher,’ and that stuck with me. … I think that’s why I am where I am, because of her words of encouragement and instilling that idea of being a leader in me.”
Read on to learn more about West Oakview’s new principal:
Other positions you have held in education: When she became a teacher, Kurosu returned to Honduras to teach fourth grade: “I always knew I wanted to return there to teach. I love the country, I loved living there and it was such a big part of my childhood. I guess you could say I’ve already lived my dream.”
Upon moving back to Michigan, she worked for West Side Christian School, first as a teacher for fifth and third grades, and then as head of school, “which is kind of like a principal and superintendent mashed together,” she explained. This school year is her eighth in school administration.
Education/degrees:
- Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and K-12 special education, Calvin College
- Master’s degree in K-12 educational leadership, Western Michigan University
What would you like to share about your family? Kurosu and her husband, Matt, have two girls, ages 4 and 1.5. The family enjoys spending time outside biking, hiking, running and at Big Star Lake in Baldwin.
What is on your bucket list? “I love to travel and I’ve never been to South America, so that’s definitely on the list.
“Another thing I’d love to do is to dive with sharks, whether it’s in one of those (underwater) cages or go scuba diving and get to be up close to them. I feel like it’s something that would be intense and really exciting. And I love the water.”
Why did you want to become a principal? When considering a master’s degree, Kurosu said she thought about what other roles within education, besides teaching, would speak to her.
“Two of the things that popped out were school counseling, because I love being with kids and hearing their stories, and being an administrator to be able to see the bigger picture and be part of a larger community outside my classroom. My thought was, ‘Well, I might cry every day and try to adopt a lot of children as a counselor, or I could be part of growing a school, supporting teachers and promoting positive education.’ And so (administration) is the route I took.”
How will you encourage student voice at your new school? “One thing I love about West Oakview is our (deaf and hard of hearing) population, and so learning sign language is something I’d like to grow in because I would love to communicate well with all our students to build those relationships.
“When I am working with students, listening to their side of the story or asking what is going on in their life is important. Meeting them where they’re at helps them grow and be successful at our school. So for me, student voice means listening to them, deeply caring for them and working with however they come to school that day.”
What are the best and worst pizza toppings? “So actually, I didn’t like pizza for most of my life. I am a pasta person; pasta and rice are my thing. But my husband’s part Italian and is a big pizza lover, so now I will eat that too. It has to be thin crust; I’m a big stickler about that. I’d probably pick pineapple, ham and green pepper, and I don’t really care for pepperoni.”
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from kids in your education career? “Every day is a gift, and every day is a fresh start, and what you do with that day is up to you. So I think the lesson in that is to always give your best and always be kind to others, because every day is a new day.
“Kids have a lot of things going on, and they have big feelings and emotions and don’t always know what to do with that. And we (as school staff) don’t always know or understand their situation. One day something might work (to help a student), and then the next day it doesn’t. So this work is about having patience and the willingness to give it everything that I have — reminding (kids) that they have so much potential, that we care deeply about them, we want them to be kind, and we want them to be successful at school.”
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