By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic

Following are brief bios of the four educators taking over as principals this 2018-2019 school year in the Archdiocese of Miami.

KRISTEN WHITING: ALL SAINTS, SUNRISE

Born and raised in South Florida, Whiting is a proud product of the Catholic school system, having attended St. Bernadette and Chaminade-Madonna College Prep in Hollywood. She received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Central Florida. Whiting and her husband of 17 years are the proud parents of Matthew, a sophomore at St. Thomas Aquinas High, Fort Lauderdale, and Joseph, a kindergartener at All Saints.

Whiting began her career in 1996, teaching grades one through five in Broward County schools. During her time in the public-school system, she was honored with the Sally Mae First Year Teacher Award, Disney’s American Teacher Award, and early acceptance to the Leadership program.

In 2010, Whiting returned to her Catholic roots, teaching fifth grade at St. David School in Davie. After three years, she was promoted to curriculum and instruction specialist, where she had the opportunity to develop and align curriculum as well as work with teachers to develop their craft. She is most proud of her work in developing service learning opportunities, including a school-wide service learning day for students in grades PreK3-eighth.

During her eight years at St. David, Whiting received her master’s in educational leadership. She says she feels honored and blessed to be part of the All Saints parish and school community.

ANA OLIVA: EPIPHANY, MIAMI

For the past 23 years, Epiphany has been Oliva's second home. She began as a reading teacher and had various roles throughout her years, including assistant principal for eight years before taking on the role of principal. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in special education from Florida International University and an educational specialist degree in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

Oliva and her family were members of Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Miami for over 30 years. She attended Sts. Peter and Paul School for seventh and eighth grade. Being part of that educational community planted the spiritual seed that she needed to continue her journey with God. She then attended and graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes Academy where she grew academically and spiritually. She credits her parents for sacrificing themselves to provide her and her brother with a Catholic education and the basis of their faith. She is very proud to be a product of Catholic education. Oliva's message to the students and the community every day is to place all their trust in God and all will be well.

STEPHANIE MURPHY: ST. JEROME, FORT LAUDERDALE

Murphy holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication from Florida Atlantic University and a Master of Science in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University. She has a wealth of experience as an International Baccalaureate teacher, coordinator, instructional coach, learning team facilitator and testing coordinator, and as an assistant principal. She is also experienced in curriculum writing, professional development and fundraising initiatives for education.

Murphy is dedicated to providing a relevant and rigorous educational program that teaches the Catholic traditions and prepares students to be lifelong learners and grow in their faith. She will strive to lead St. Jerome School to develop 21st century thinkers while inspiring creativity and innovation, and cultivating communicators and problem-solvers.

EDUARDO FLOR: ST. MARY CATHEDRAL, MIAMI

Flor is a product of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Miami and has been a teacher and administrator with the archdiocese for 19 years.

He began his career at his alma mater, Msgr. Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens, where he served for 17 years. He started as graphic designer in the Advancement Office while assisting with alumni and fundraising events. He then taught computer science, serving as department chair and network administrator of the student servers. He expanded the technology education program to include advanced courses for graphics, web design, and programming. Seven years later, he joined the school’s leadership team as the director of Student Activities, helping the program expand to over 70 clubs and organizations. His role then changed to director of Student Affairs, where he coordinated admissions along with student activities, helping to increase the school’s enrollment each year.

Flor is not new to the cathedral family since he joined the school staff last year as assistant principal. He has also participated on Catholic school advisory boards and serves as director of marketing and public relations for the Archdiocese of Miami Virtual Catholic School.

A graduate of Immaculate Conception School in Hialeah, Pace High and St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Flor has a bachelor’s degree in information technology computer systems and a master’s in educational leadership. He recently married and is a parishioner at Immaculate Conception.

His vision for St. Mary Cathedral School includes maintaining a strong Catholic identity as the school prepares to celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2019; and raising the academic bar to ensure student learning and achievement while building the school’s reputation as a Catholic school of excellence.