“Instead of coffee to wake me up, I’d rather come to Richmond Hill High School,” Chancellor Kamar Samuels remarked as his first impression of the building. The halls roared with excitement and energy as the Lionettes cheer team, JROTC cadets, and cameras flashing took over the lobby to welcome Mr. Samuels into the building.
On January 15th, 2026, Kamar Samuels, the newly appointed chancellor of the NYCDOE by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, visited Richmond Hill High School as part of his “Our Schools, Our Future” tour to directly speak with students, staff, and families. The visit aims to gather feedback on critical issues including school safety, academic rigor, and school integration. Although his position as chancellor is recent, his journey as an educator spans from two decades as he was once a teacher, principal, and superintendent.
His experience as both an educator and NYCPS parent himself has helped him understand the values and worries of families. “Everyone wants a place where their child is safe,” Chancellor Samuels explained. “Where their child is held to high expectations so that they can really achieve in life and they can appreciate the wonderful diversity of a classroom in NYC.” This perfectly encapsulates the RHHS experience considering a majority of our student population is ethnically diverse.
Additionally, Chancellor Samuels was born in Jamaica and attended Jamaica College in St. Andrew before continuing his education in New York City at Baruch College. Given his immigrant background, his education and occupational journey is incredibly inspiring for RHHS students who can relate to his experiences. His visit emphasizes the importance of seeing minorities succeed because it gives students the confidence that they can also achieve their dreams.
Going to school and seeing people with similar experiences as him led Samuels to shape his views on opportunity in NYC public schools. “We can make this city a place of hope, a place that allows folks to have an easier experience” transitioning from one country to another. Supporting families and embracing diversity has been a major focus of the chancellor’s strategy to ensure student success in public education: “we just want a fair shot of working hard and achieving our goals.”
During his visit at the school, Chancellor Samuels engaged with students from different academies in order to see the work of the Health, Culinary, and STEM pathways. For example, Health students performed a basic vitals check on Mr. Samuels (blood pressure and hearing) and demonstrated CPR techniques on manikins. The extensive work put into career-based learning allows students to prepare for their next steps outside of college, essentially helping students explore their interests, develop soft and technical skills, and make informed decisions about post-graduation paths.
As a designated FutureReadyNYC (FRNYC) school in Queens, Richmond Hill High School introduces students with opportunities to gain a head start. The specialized career pathways in Media, Art & Design, Health Sciences, Hospitality & Tourism, Law and Forensics, and STEM connect students with programs for early college credits and paid work experience. The school also partners with CUNY to offer 60+ dual credit courses to prepare students for college and career success.
From the Lionettes performance to the career-ready skills presented by multiple students, the Chancellor’s visit was a powerful reminder – investing in education matters. Seeing the enthusiasm and dedication displayed by all students was inspiring in addition to the educators who continue investing in career-connected learning possibilities.
