Dr. Lara Gilpin has been in education for 29 years. Her career with the St. Joseph School District began in 1993 as a P.E./health teacher at Spring Garden Middle School. In addition to teaching, Dr. Gilpin coached basketball and track at SGMS as well as varsity basketball and volleyball at Benton High School in St. Joseph, Missouri. In 1999 she became assistant principal at Robidoux Middle School and later moved to assistant principalship at Truman Middle School in 2001. The following year, Dr. Gilpin became principal of Spring Garden Middle School, where she remains after 18 years as the principal. Dr. Gilpin has spent 24 of her years in education at Spring Garden Middle School in the capacity of a teacher and administrator. She has received a Bachelor's, Master's, and Specialist Degree from Northwest Missouri State University and received her doctorate from Baker University. Dr. Gilpin was named the Northwest MOASSP District Middle School Principal of the Year in both 2017 and 2019. Principal, Spring Garden Middle School