June 1, 2020, Mandela welcomed new principal, Genevive Core, and new assistant principal Joe Murray, which coincided with the start of the school’s summer term. They step into these positions while the school faces unprecedented questions about how to continue Mandela’s commitment to year-round education safely, yet they seem prepared for the challenge. As longtime residents of Omaha, both Core and Murray have the best interests of the North Omaha community they serve at heart.
Genevive Core was born and raised in North Omaha. Core has spent many years in education, starting with 15 years of teaching for Omaha Public Schools (OPS) after earning a master’s degree through the CADRE program at the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO). After becoming an Instructional Facilitator and Academic Data Representative in 2013, she realized her passion for administration. She received her master’s degree in 2019 from Doane University. Core states, “I am honored to be given this wonderful opportunity to continue this legacy. I want to continue to build an institution that supports our scholars emotionally, socially, and academically and supports our team to continue to expect greatness. I live by the Nelson Mandela quote, ‘It always seems impossible, until it’s done’.”
Joe Murray, also born and raised in North Omaha, has also spent many years in education. He taught for OPS for three years before accepting both a teaching job and acting as the Dean of Student Services at Jesuit Academy in 2014. He earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from UNO in 2019. Joe states, “I am excited to finally be official! It is great to join the team and add to the great things they have been doing over the years. I know that this is the perfect fit, and I am happy to be here."
Core and Murray look forward to continuing Mandela’s mission which aims to provide quality instruction that demonstrates ALL scholars can learn and develop academically, emotionally, socially, and physically. They and the Mandela team are committed to maximizing the educational success of all scholars and bridging learning and achievement gaps.