Mariah Walker | Principal |  mwalker4@wcpss.net 

Mariah Walker was named principal of Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy in 2022. Mrs. Walker grew up in Raleigh. As a North Carolina Teaching Fellow, Mrs. Walker attended North Carolina State University, where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s of English and Secondary Education. She began her teaching career at Sanderson High School. Mrs. Walker earned a Master’s in Curriculum Supervision and Leadership at North Carolina State University in 2010. She returned to NC State University to earn her Master’s in School Administration, while completing her internship at Sanderson High School. She served as an assistant principal at Sanderson High School and Pleasant Grove Elementary, before she became principal at Hilburn PreK-8 Academy.

At Hilburn, Mrs. Walker led the school in academic achievement, including meeting and exceeding EVAAS growth targets and growing EOG proficiency. During her time at Hilburn, the school also became a Green School, a Community Resiliency Model approach environment, as well as incorporating healthy practices for working mothers returning from maternity leave, including the creation of a Nursing Mother's Room. She also led consecutive growth in Teacher Working Conditions.

She has participated in post-graduate research around academic linguistics amongst geographically diverse students and educators, female leadership at secondary schools and central offices, and underrepresentation/low performance of students in Academically and Intellectually Gifted programs. Mrs. Walker has served students from 6 weeks old to 21 years old through North Carolina’s public schools and programs.

Mrs. Walker is grateful for the opportunity to serve as principal in her hometown and the Raleigh community. She believes that it takes a community to raise strong, caring, and humble young people.