Julie Hickman named H.O. Brittingham assistant principal

Beacon Middle School math teacher Julie Hickman will take over as H.O. Brittingham Elementary assistant principal July 1, succeeding Jennifer Leach, who is taking a position with Delaware Technical Community College.

Hickman joined Beacon in 2018 after teaching all content areas in fifth grade for seven years in the Milford School District, which named her Teacher of the Year in 2016.

By taking the position, Hickman said she will be able to make connections with students as they progress through all the years of elementary school and make a bigger impact outside the four walls of a classroom.

In her new role, Hickman will oversee teacher observations and scheduling, and work closely on the Leader in Me schoolwide initiative. She said she’s excited to be part of a Spanish immersion school.

“I’m looking forward to making H.O.B. more competitive in regard to our state test scores,” she said. “I want H.O.B. to be the school kids want to go to and where people want to work. It’s exciting to help improve and invest in a school in my own backyard.”

Hickman received her bachelor’s degree in education from University of Delaware and her master’s degree in administrative leadership from Wilmington University.

“It was an honor to be the first in my family to ever graduate from college,” she said.

In 2019, she completed an internship at Beacon Middle School with Principal Dave Frederick and Assistant Principal Kathleen Sheehan that provided experience in meeting with families, creating schedules, managing the building and grounds, and overseeing budgeting and fiscal management.

Originally from New York, she and her family moved to Lewes after 9/11; her father was a New York City police officer who wanted a new start and to leave the past behind. 

Hickman graduated from Cape in 2007 and married her high school sweetheart, Bryan Hickman. They live in Milton with children Alivia, 8, and Eberly, 6, who both attend Love Creek Elementary and are Dewey Beach Patrol junior lifeguards.

In their free time, the family enjoys driving on the beach to fish and hiking the many Cape Region trails.