What a privilege we have as educators to serve students and, for many of us, to serve teachers! I’m sure there’s no higher calling in life than to serve others with their best interests at heart.
As we roll into another year in school, I wanted to share this thought with you:
If a kid knows you love them, they will do anything for you. If a kid thinks you don’t like them, you won’t be able to get them to do anything.
I don’t think that’s just true of students but of people. Kouzes and Posner, two of the foremost leadership researchers in the world out of UC Santa Barbara, write this in The Truth About Leadership (2010):
Love is the soul of leadership. Love is what sustains people along the arduous journey to the summit of any mountain. Love is the source of the leader’s courage. Leaders are in love: in love with leading, in love with their organizations, products, and services, and in love with their people.
I know every single person reading this email wants this year to be a success. If that’s true, let me offer this simple truth: Your year will be more successful if it’s rooted in love – in particular, the love of people who look to you as their leader.
“Education? You don’t want to do that with your life. You’ve got other plans.” That’s what Angelo DelliSanti’s high school counselor told him his senior year. And she was right—at first. Angelo had spent three years preparing to become a U.S. Navy officer. But an internship with a math teacher during his senior year changed everything. Helping struggling students master algebra sparked a passion for education that would shape his career.
Over the next 15 years, Angelo served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal, returning to his alma mater to teach World History and later advancing to leadership roles. As a principal, Angelo implemented the Capturing Kids’ Hearts process, leading to remarkable academic gains, increased scholarships, record-breaking graduation rates, and improved school culture. These achievements earned him recognition as the Rowan-Salisbury Schools Principal of the Year in 2018.
In 2022, Angelo joined Capturing Kids’ Hearts as a Leadership Solutions Strategist where he is dedicated to working together with school leaders to create remarkable schools. He holds a Bachelor’s in History and Secondary Education from UNC Charlotte, where he was a North Carolina Teaching Fellow. He also completed a Master’s in School Administration and completed all the required coursework for a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from his alma mater, earning the Outstanding Student Philip Morris Educational Fellowship in 2017.
Angelo lives in North Carolina with his wife, Kasey, whom he married in 2008. Together, they enjoy escapes to the mountains and beaches. Angelo’s passions include golf, non-fiction books, cooking, and sharing meals filled with laughter and connection around the table.
View all posts by Angelo DelliSanti
CHOOSE TO BE GREAT 