ACSA member Cara Vienna has reached the finals in a national recognition program for assistant principals.

Vienna is a finalist — one of three in the country — for the 2026 High School National Assistant Principal of the Year award given by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). ACSA is a state affiliate of NASSP.

The winner will be announced on April 17 at the National Education Leadership Awards in Washington, D.C.

Vienna has served as assistant principal of Los Alamitos High School (Los Alamitos USD) for five years. She oversees counseling, special education, college and career, math, mental health, and intervention. As a servant leader, she prioritizes relationships and collaboration with all stakeholders to drive meaningful change.

Under her leadership, Los Alamitos High School achieved a 100 percent graduation rate for two consecutive years with over 3,000 students enrolled. She has fostered a culture of student voice and engagement through innovative initiatives including a Well Space serving over 900 students per semester, student mentor programs, paid campus internships, and collaborative forums like teacher shadow days and fishbowl seminars. She has expanded Unified Sports and implements annual surveys to ensure that student and teacher perspectives guide decision-making. She credits the school’s success to dedicated students, staff, families, and community partners.

For the NASSP National Assistant Principal of the Year program, each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Schools and the Department of Defense Education Activity select one middle level and/or high school assistant principal to represent their state or department, from whom three finalists are chosen for each level. The award recognizes outstanding middle level and high school assistant principals who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to the profession.