Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools Elementary was unusually quiet as Principal Dr. Preeti Nichani followed Tuscaloosa City Schools (TCS) Superintendent Dr. Mike Daria down the hall toward the gym.  

“I thought we were going to the third-grade hallway?”  

Dr. Nichani was trying to make sense of what was going on. It was Tuesday, and she had been at Tuscaloosa Fire Station 1 for her monthly Leadership Tuscaloosa meeting when she received a call from Dr. Daria. That morning, he and Assistant Principal April Ball were supposed to meet with some superintendents interested in implementing some of the elementary school’s programs.  

Nichani knew she left the visitors in excellent hands, but Daria for some reason felt he and Ball weren’t qualified to answer their questions. 

“We need you here,” he insisted. 

So, here she was, standing at the doors of the gym. 

“There was a pin-drop, eerie silence,” Nichani said. “It was right before spring break, and we had a skating unit going on in P.E., so I was looking at my assistant principal asking, ‘Why are we not skating?’” 

Ball ignored the question. “Oh, we’re just going to go in the gym for a minute,” she said.  

They opened the doors, and as they walked inside, Nichani was stunned to see it packed with people. Teachers, students, former students – the entire school was there.  

“I just see ‘Congratulations, Dr. Nichani!’ But then my counselor (Laura Angel) came up and said, ‘Hey, look at the banner carefully.’” 

“National Distinguished Principal,” it said. That was when the realization finally hit and emotions came flooding in. 

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On March 10, Dr. Nichani was named the state’s 2026 NAESP National Distinguished Principal (NDP) by the Alabama Association of Elementary School Administrators (AAESA), a prestigious honor that recognizes outstanding principals who uphold the highest standards in their schools. 

Nichani had been interviewed the week prior by a panel of NAESP judges, who apparently called her school counselor with their decision that very same night. Dr. Daria, her family and others found out the next day and immediately began planning the surprise celebration. Everyone had been in on it, including Nichani’s husband and daughters, and they’d all managed to keep it a secret until that moment in the gym. 

This award isn’t just for her, Nichani said. 

“It's every educator with Tuscaloosa City Schools over the last 24 years who has touched me. It's all the students who have shaped me and the parents I get to work with – this award belongs to them.” 

As a principal and as a person, Nichani embodies all that the NDP award stands for. She cares deeply about building relationships, working closely with teachers and promoting a culture of caring, respect and excellence within the school. For nine years, she has led Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools Elementary with grace while empowering students and ensuring everyone feels appreciated and supported, whether it be teachers, staff, students or parents. 

“In a world where people are so focused on ‘me, myself,’ we all need to show compassion,” she said. “When people see that in you, they realize, ‘Oh, I want to be that way. I want to do that.’ But I don’t do it to show people – I do it because it brings me satisfaction. I feel good about it. It pours into my heart. So, it’s selfish really.” She laughed. 

This spring semester has been one to remember. On top of being named NDP, Nichani also completed her doctorate and became a three-time UA College of Education alumna, having earned her master’s and Education Specialist degrees here as well. 

When the idea of going back to school for her PhD was first brought up, though, Nichani said she couldn’t. But Daria reminded her that she was hesitant to apply for her current position as principal as well. 

“If it weren’t for Dr. Daria and my husband, I would not have done it,” she said. “Daria tapped into me and said, ‘I see something in you. You need to go back.’ Now it’s a joke. He says, ‘Yeah you didn’t want to be principal, you didn’t want to get your doctoral degree, and now you’ve checked off all those boxes.” 

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Nichani is living a dream that began back in Mumbai, India, where she grew up. Her journey into the field of education started with a newspaper article about a new special education program at Saint Xavier University. Despite just finishing her bachelor’s degree in psychology, she knew immediately that this was something she wanted to do. 

“It made me a little sad because it was another undergrad program,” she said. “But it was a year and a half working with kids with special needs, with different exceptionalities, and I thought, how cool would that be?” 

When Nichani completed the program, the university asked if she would be interested in getting her master’s degree. She knew she had some time before she would move to be with her boyfriend while he finished his residency in the U.S., so she agreed.  

During this time, the two got engaged, then she completed her master’s degree and traveled to join her now-fiancé in Chicago, volunteering at a private school there for two years before the couple moved again. 

In 2001, Nichani and her husband arrived in Tuscaloosa, where they have called home for about 25 years. Her work with TCS began first as a volunteer, then as a special education teacher at Arcadia Elementary School for 13 and a half years. After that, she served as assistant principal for both Rock Quarry and Verner elementary schools, splitting her weekdays between the two for nearly three years before becoming principal of Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools Elementary in 2017.  

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For nine years, she has led the elementary school with compassion and influenced the lives of many through her work – something she does not take for granted. 

“Even if these 310 kiddos sitting in my building right now don't remember who I am years down the road, knowing that at some point I touched their lives in some way or fashion keeps me going. That is my biggest joy,” Nichani said. 

She and her husband also value fostering relationships in Tuscaloosa and giving back to a community that they feel has given them both so much. This is one reason she decided to participate in the Leadership Tuscaloosa program this year and also why she is dedicated to helping her alma mater. 

“We always try to bring in at least six to eight teaching interns. This is my way of giving back and supporting the College however I can,” she said. “Because we have to keep doing better. It’s getting harder in any field you go into, but we can make it easier for the upcoming group of educators. Just a handful of us get that joy, that privilege of pouring into the rising generation.” 

With all that has happened this semester, being awarded for her hard work and dedication and completing her doctorate, Nichani said it almost feels bittersweet. 

“I am a proud UA alumna. It brings me lots of joy to say that. After defending my dissertation, I called my parents right outside the College of Education to say, ‘Hey, Mom and Dad. You have a doctor.' My dad just stopped; he couldn’t talk,” she said, smiling with tears in her eyes.