Popular Arbor Heights Elementary School principal Dr. Carol Coram leaves her position this summer after 11 years to become assistant principal at Denny International Middle School. Denny has two assistant principals, Kristina Bellamy-McClain, who becomes interim principal at Emerson Elementary School, and Chanda Oatis, who will stay on.

"I was ready to do something different," Coram told the West Seattle Herald. "This will be a new opportunity with new challenges. That's what it's all about. I thought long before there was this (job) opening that if I was going to ever make a change, that this would be a tough decision to do, and that I still would want to be in West Seattle. So when I saw this opening, I said, 'Oh, this is a possibility.'

"I'm not sure how everything will be divided up regarding specific responsibilities," she said. "I haven't had those conversations yet with (Denny principal) Jeff Clark. But I look forward to working in the new building in September.

"You know what's amazing?" enthused Coram. "What I'm loving about it is that I'm following my kids." She is referring to those students currently at Arbor Heights who will soon see her in the halls at Denny.

"I just got 'attacked' by a group of 5th grade girls at lunch who were thrilled that they'll still be with me," she said. "Plus, some of the last couple of years of my students will be there, too." (Those at Denny from Arbor Heights now attending 7th and 8th grades.)

And those who she will not see any longer when she works at Denny?

"I'll definitely miss the kids, and after 11 years I really established some strong relationships with our staff. I will miss them too."

Before she begins at Denny, Coram, a Leschi resident and athlete, has scheduled a physically active summer. She will be a technical official for the Central American and Caribbean Track and Field Championships, traveling to Puerto Rico in July. She said she will also be doing several "sprint" triathlons in the summer. In a sprint triathlon you swim 750 meters, just under half a mile, bicycle 20 kilometers, or about 12 and a half miles, and run 5 kilometers or 3.1 miles. She said she often wins in her age division.

Coram was born in White Plains, N.Y. She attended Bradley University in Peoria, IL., then earned her Masters and Doctorate degrees at Columbia University, N.Y. She coached men's and women's track and field in the mid 80's at West Point United States Military Academy. She taught at Eastview Middle School in White Plains, and is still in touch with some former students, now adults.

She moved to Seattle in 1995 to be Director of Upper School at University Prep which equates to a high school principal. In 1997 she became principal at Hawthorne Elementary School for three years, then on to Arbor Heights.

Coram belongs to the Seattle Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. In 1908, that sorority became America's first Greek-letter organization established by African American college women and is rooted to Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Her husband, Ammon McWashington, served as principal of Garfield and Ingraham high schools. He served as both director and athletic coordinator of high schools for the Seattle School District, and executive director of School Services. He retired last June.

"I just love going to school," said Coram. "If it were up to me, that's all I'd do. I'd just go to school."