RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - Ashley Hannon’s journey to becoming the new principal at Cosumnes River Elementary School is a testament to the power of following one’s passions and embracing new opportunities.

She grew up in Georgia from the age of 5, a proud “Bulldog” who graduated from the University of Georgia in 2005 with a degree in business. After college, she spent about seven years in corporate marketing. Seeing her work appear on billboards and websites was exciting, but the instability of the field prompted her to rethink her career.

“There’s, like, a lot of layoffs in marketing when you lose clients. And I kind of always had a passion for education,” she recalled.

A turning point came when Hannon’s husband, Craig, entered the military and attended flight school in Alabama. During their two years there, she took the opportunity to return to school and earned a master’s degree in education from Troy University.

After relocating to Sacramento in 2013, she completed her student teaching at Raymond Case Elementary in the Elk Grove Unified School District.

In 2014, Hannon began her teaching career at Arlene Hein Elementary, where she taught fourth grade for five years before moving to first grade. Teaching during COVID proved especially challenging. 

“I taught first grade on Zoom. It was kind of crazy… but my kids were… pretty resilient,” she said.

Following the pandemic, she continued teaching first grade at John Reith Elementary.

After Hannon and her husband began building a home near Grant Line Road and Douglas, she took an interest in Sunrise Elementary. When the vice principal position opened, she was eager at the thought of working so close to home. 

“What are the odds that I could get that job and be that close to home? And then I did,” she said.

Sunrise is a bustling, year-round school with approximately 1,300 students: more akin to a small city than a neighborhood school. Hannon credits her principal and mentor there with preparing her for leadership, helping her gain confidence and develop the skills she would need to “spread her wings” one day.

Being part of the neighborhood where her own children attended brought both rewards and challenges.

“It’s so fun. Because, like, I got to know all of my kids’ friends… But then it’s like, you know, I’m at the grocery store, and it’s like, ‘Hi, Miss Hannon’… So yeah, it was really great. But I’m also glad to have, like, a little bit of separation now.

“And my daughter said the same thing. She was glad that this year she would get to be a regular kid.”

Several factors prompted Hannon to apply for the Cosumnes River opening after veteran educator Mike Blomquist retired. She was drawn to the school’s smaller size, traditional calendar, strong academic reputation, experienced staff and its proximity to her home.

As the new principal, Hannon is eager to embrace the small-school community. 

“I just want to meet everybody: There are only 364 kids. I’m determined to learn so many names, meet families,” she said.

She’s also looking forward to Cosumnes River traditions, like the harvest festival, and is already tackling practical challenges, such as parking lot congestion.

Hannon also hopes to get the school’s broadcasting program up and running. 

“It’s definitely something that I would like to do. The kids like it; it gives them a chance to be exposed to a lot of different things: writing scripts, doing interviews, using a microphone and presenting in front of people.”

Hannon said the energy she gives to students is returned in kind. 

“As crazy as the job is… I love being with the kids every day: favorite part of the day… honestly, it helps me be a better parent sometimes, because I can, like, take that step back and, ‘OK, breathe,’” she said.

When asked how she balances work with motherhood – her daughter Olivia is 9 and her son Jackson is 5 – Hannon credited her husband, Craig, a full-time Army National Guard pilot. 

“Absolutely amazing… my biggest cheerleader,” she said. “He’s been on kid duty, a lot of pickups, and taking the practices as I kind of, like, get my feet wet.”

Hannon said she makes it a priority to spend meaningful moments with her family. 

“I try to spend quality time with my kids instead of quantity,” she explained.

One of their traditions is what she calls “forced walks.” 

“They are not a choice. You have to go, and second, you have to walk. You can’t ride a bike, you can’t ride a scooter, you can’t bring a ball. It’s just us, the four of us, walking and talking… and we’re not bringing a cell phone or a radio or anything like that.”

Additionally, Hannon is committed to her own well-being. 

“I have a Peloton. I like to run, and I’ll get on the bike, too,” she said. “It’s just kind of, that’s like my me time, right?”

She also enjoys listening to audiobooks and watching true crime stories.

As the new principal, Hannon exemplifies how it’s possible to balance school leadership and motherhood, finding connections, joy and growth in both worlds.