MATTAWA - The Royal School District has promoted from within to fill the Wahluke High School principal position being vacated by eight-year Principal Jeff Pietila at the end of this school year.

Mia Benjamin, who has 10 years of experience in school administration, has been elevated from vice principal at Wahluke.

Making her additionally attractive for the post is her fluent Spanish and her understanding of today's technological world.

As he was resigning to pursue new opportunities, Pietila recommended to the district that he be replaced with a "tech savvy" principal, which he admitted he was not. When the doors open next fall, all Wahluke schools will be fully technology equipped.

"I like it here," Benjamin said. "Since I speak Spanish and I teach ELL (English Language Learners), It's a good place for me."

Benjamin and her husband Mark own a home in Desert Aire. Both enjoy fishing and golf when they have the opportunity.

Benjamin is a 1993 graduate of Sehome High School in Bellingham. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Western Washington University. She taught ELL adults at Skagit Valley College while attending Western.

In 2000, Benjamin started a five-year stint at White Center Heights Elementary in Seattle. She taught first, second and third grade and ELL students in a school that dealt with 27 foreign languages.

In her specific ELL class, Benjamin had 23 students and 12 languages. Hand and arm gestures were a part of the process. The good news was that young children learned quickly.

"They'd learn something and repeat it over and over and over," Benjamin said.

After securing a Masters in educational leadership from Seattle Pacific University, Benjamin launched her administration career in the Highline School District. After three years, she moved on to Hoquiam for a year, but she lost that position due to a reduction in force.

Benjamin moved to Mattawa Elementary for two years. Then she moved up to vice principal at the high school for four years. Superintendent Aaron Chavez found her to be ready for the principalship at the time Pietila was resigning and appointed her.

"When you're in the VP position, your goal is the next step," Benjamin said.