Noblesville High School (NHS) has a new principal: Janae Mobley from Hamilton Heights.
“In high school, if you had asked me if I wanted to be an educator, I would have said no,” Mobley says. “My mom was a teacher and high school counselor. I saw the work of an educator and knew how it wore her down. She cared about each kid as if they were her very own.”
Mobley initially attended the University of Southern Indiana to pursue a different degree and play volleyball.
“I remember being undecided about my career path and seeing a movie in speech class,” she says. “It hit me how impactful an educator can be on our future generations. I knew in that moment I wanted to be a teacher.”
After several years in the classroom, Mobley discovered her true passion lay in helping the students who struggled most.
“I wanted a bigger platform to effect change for [students] and help them attain their potential,” Mobley says. “So, I pursued my master’s at Butler University to become an administrator.”
From there, Mobley worked as an assistant principal at Yorktown High School and then joined NHS in 2017. After becoming an assistant principal at NHS, she pursued her doctorate in educational leadership at the University of Kentucky.
“I think my driving purpose and focus have remained the same,” Mobley says. “I still want to ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed.”
In Mobley’s mind, there’s always been something special about Noblesville — so much so that she even recognized it as a high school student, witnessing the NHS student section.
“[NHS] seemed like a big school, but a small, tight-knit community,” Mobley says. “Having now been here for eight years, it really is that special place. Noblesville is also a high-performing school in academics, athletics, performing arts and the services we provide for students and families. There is nowhere else I would rather be.”
During her first year as principal for NHS, Mobley hopes to build and foster strong relationships with students, staff, families and the community at large.
“The first year is all about building relationships,” she says. “It’s essential for our success as a school. We all care deeply about our young adults, and I want to ensure we are all working as a powerful collective team to best support their achievement.”
Mobley is the second female principal of NHS. She says she is grateful to former principal Annetta Petty and the other women in education leadership who preceded her.
“I’m also very grateful for those who are currently doing the same in surrounding communities,” Mobley says. “It means a lot to me that our young women at NHS see someone who can lead a building this size. It also means a lot to me that my daughter sees that example — that she can accomplish anything she puts her mind to.”
According to Mobley, the outpouring of love and support from families in the community she has received has been absolutely heartwarming.
