Ms. Loretta Rowland-Kitley

Greetings!  I am very proud to have been the principal at the Early/Middle College @ GTCC-Jamestown since 2008.  I have had the privilege of watching numerous groups of students 'grow up' with us, which is a great thrill as a principal!  My experience in education is somewhat vast, for I have been a teacher, assistant principal, and principal for many years.  Subjects taught include art, math, and computer science.  I have served schools in rural, urban, and suburban communities in Kansas, Missouri, and North Carolina.  I have lived in North Carolina since the end of July, 1997.  I have been a principal for decades, and I am quite lucky to be here with this fantastic group of students and staff members.  

I grew up on a farm in a small rural area of Kansas amongst my nine siblings.  Education was important to my family, and we all earned at least one college degree.  We are first generation college graduates, and second generation Americans.  I earned degrees from Allen County Community College, the University of Kansas, and Fort Hays State University.  I was lucky enough to earn a scholarship while attending the University of Kansas to study abroad in Lancaster, England for a year.  This experience helped feed my hunger for new experiences and opportunities to learn from others.  

I have four children.  We are a blended family, and I have been married to Ralph Kitley since 1999.  Life is never dull at our home, and we always seem to be busy.  We have a four legged member of our immediate family named Salem.  She is a rescue pup who has lived with us since 2012.  She is such a sweetie and knows she is the 'queen' in our household!  We also have a few pets that belong to our children.  For instance our son, Zack, has a cat named Rae.  Our son, Nick, has a dog named Oliver that is shared with his wife, Jennifer.  Our daughter, Raven, has multiple dogs on the other side of her family.  Our daughter, Elizabeth, shares a dog named Winnie with her roommate. 

Sports are a constant for our family members.  I have also been practicing and teaching yoga for decades.  Health and wellness have been a focus of mine since I was young.  Travel is also a joy for me and my entire family.  We love to travel and experience as much as we can from new places and situations.  

Being kind to one another is so very important.  Treating others how we want to be treated is one of my many mantras.  Modeling behaviors is imperative as an educator, as well as a parent/guardian.  Being an educator is not that different from being a parent.  It does take a village to truly raise a child.  Hoping this village includes all of us working in the best interest of each and every student within our school.