By Thea Jarvis

Sitting in the gymnasium of DeKalb College's south campus listening to author, actress and fellow educator Maya Angelou, St. Anthony's soon-to-be first lay principal looked at home in the midst of her happy, well-mannered students.

Nanci Pearson, a fifth- and eighth-grade language arts teacher at the Atlanta school, officially assumes the job July 1. She succeeds Sister Patricia Clune, CSJ, who has headed St. Anthony's for the past 16 years and whose community of Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet has staffed the school for 79 years.

"Knowing Nanci is taking over makes my leaving much easier," said Sister Patricia, perched in the bleachers next to her successor and the students she will leave this summer. "I have full faith and confidence that she will do a super job."

Ms. Pearson, a parishioner at Sacred Heart Church in Atlanta, brings a bounty of experience to her new position at St. Anthony's. With graduate and undergraduate degrees in Latin and English, she has taught high school and college students in public and private schools for 16 years.

From 1979-85, Ms. Pearson taught Latin and English at Marist School and served as assistant dean of students there from 1985-87. Since 1977, she has been a part-time instructor in developmental studies at Georgia State University.

Her past two years at St. Anthony's mark "my beginnings in elementary education," she said. "I'm surprising myself, really enjoying being around young children."

Currently enrolled in coursework leading to a post-master's degree in administrative supervision, Ms. Pearson said she has been gratified with the support she has received from parents, staff, and St. Anthony's pastor, Father Bruce Wilkinson.

"Their affirmation is very clear to me already," said Ms. Pearson, who derives a "feeling of comfort and security" from their tremendous support."

Becoming the first lay principal in a school where Religious sisters have served for so long is "exciting, not a burden, a tremendous challenge," she said. "It's an indication of the reality of vocations today."

Her own vocation to the teaching profession has been enhanced by her tenure at St. Anthony's, she said.

"Elementary education has jolted, amazed and humored me. It has given me a sense of joy" beyond her expectations, Ms. Pearson acknowledged.

"The children are so excited about so many little things."

In the classroom after the presentation by Maya Angelou, she found her eighth-grade students had been mesmerized by the personal presence of an author they had studied extensively in their language arts class.

They found her "inspiring, humorous," and were particularly impressed with "her ability to relate to and motivate young people," said Ms. Pearson.

She had heard the dynamic Ms. Angelou perform before and was delighted her students could get to know the person they had read about it I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Ms. Angelou's autobiographical novel.

"It's given a richness and a further appreciation to someone they've studied," she said. "It lends more credibility to the value of what they have read."

Ms. Pearson hopes to teach at least one unit of eighth-grade language arts next year. "As a teacher it's important to me to maintain some contact with the classroom," she said.

"Education is truly a life process, an opportunity for a child to learn and grow and be challenged in both faith and academics."

We must be accountable as Christians, responsible in terms of the decisions we make," since there are always consequences, Ms. Pearson said.

Her personal decision to accept the leadership of St. Anthony's School was made easier because she is moving into "a setting that is so solid, so securely in place academically and financially," she said. There is "a very firm foundation from which to grow."