Two new assistant principals at Pekin Community High School (PCHS) have been working hard this 2024-2025 school year. Those new faces are Daniel Hiles and Janira Del Valle. Though they are new to the job, they have both worked at Pekin for some time.

Hiles was a Dean of students for two years at PCHS, and he has worked in education for 20 years. Seventeen of those years took place in Peoria Public Schools as a music teacher and an administrator.

When asked what makes PCHS stand out Hiles replied, “Opportunity and pride are two things that make our school stand out. Students have many opportunities to engage in classes and activities that provide robust experiences for them whether it’s something that may be exploring as a potential career or to just get involved in our amazing school community.  Along with the multiple opportunities for students comes strong pride in our school.  Whether it's students decked out in PCHS gear in the hallways or classrooms, the amazing promotion of our school and programs on social media, and our community members and businesses who support us in many ways, there is an incredible amount of pride in being a Dragon!” 

Hiles enjoys working in the community that he grew up around, “As a proud alumni of PCHS, being able to work for the school from which I graduated is an honor.  In addition to that, having the opportunity to be a part of a wonderful staff who guide students to academic and personal excellence is something I enjoy being a part of each and every day!”

Del Valle was also a Dean of students last year and previously she was a social studies teacher for seven years.

Similar to Hiles, PCHS has always stood out to Del Valle, “The school feels like it’s the center of the community. It feels like a positive reflection of the community. The amount of opportunities that students have to find their passion and figure out what they want to do.”

With Del Valle being a previous teacher, she was asked if she feels she is still making a difference even though she is not teaching every day. She said, “Yeah absolutely I feel like every staff member here makes an impact on the lives of students. Even though I’m not in the classroom making a difference, I’m working with counselors and close with all staff who are making a difference every day.”

Hiles and Del Valle hope to continue their leadership and make PCHS a better place. To say that they love their job is an understatement. Every morning Hiles is at the entrance of the school and he greets everyone he sees. Del Valle is always walking the hallways and interacting with students. 

Being an assistant principal is a lot of work. It involves many late evenings on campus, and countless hours in meetings. Being involved in the school is a big responsibility, and both Hiles and Del Valle go above and beyond for the success of students.

Current PCHS principal, Shayla Ewing, was one of the former assistant principals in the school just last year. She shared how she felt Del Valle and Hiles were fitting into their roles, “Overall, I feel both are coming into with their own skill sets for their own unique aspects of their jobs and they are fitting in very nicely.” 

When discussing what sets those two apart from other candidates, Ewing stated, “I think they are both servant leaders, meaning that they are the type of people who step in to help no matter the job. They are always willing to help our school community.”

The addition of two new assistant principals for 24-25 PCHS school year marks an exciting chapter for the learning community. Hiles and Del Valle are welcomed with open arms at PCHS.