A Beacon of Light

Alumni Changemakers: Dr. Kalenah Witcher '87

 

Dr. Kalenah Witcher ’87 credits her former NA teacher Blackie Parlin with her fascination with birds, specifically the red-tailed hawk, which always stops her in her tracks when she sees one circling high above Newark. And like a hawk (which in many cultures symbolizes being watched over and protected), Kalenah has spent decades working with youth and changing lives as a school psychologist in the Newark Public Schools. Her career has been defined by showing up for young people and their families, being a source of light during very dark times in their lives, and doing so with genuine compassion and care. 

Kalenah’s NA education provided a formative foundation, and she is extremely grateful to her mother, who made the decision and the sacrifice to send her. She credits other teachers like Norm Schaffler, Betty Newman and Joe Ball with preparing her for the world — by emphasizing the importance of learning Spanish, encouraging her to share more of what she was thinking with her peers, stimulating her curiosity about world cultures, and engaging her in conversations about being Muslim. The rigor of the NA curriculum, and even the summer reading, exposed her to ideas and experiences that broadened her perspective in ways she still draws on today. 

Throughout her career, Kalenah reflects, “I’ve worked in the traditional 800- to 900- student high school all the way to a smaller 50-student program for young people who were returning from incarceration and other court involvement. And in all of that work, I get to see different facets of myself. And it’s all about what we learned at Newark Academy: How do you add value? How do you take the gifts you’ve been provided to add value to other people’s lived experiences? That’s what keeps me here.” 

Beyond her work in Newark schools, Kalenah has been a consistent presence in the civic life of the city. She is a founding board member of Newark G.A.L.S., Inc, a nonprofit focused on empowering young women aged 13–17 with self-confidence as well as life and problem-solving skills. She also serves as Chair of the Central Planning Board for the City of Newark, helping facilitate conversations between residents and developers that shape the city’s future. In the past year alone, she was honored as a role model by a student group called The Pink Pearls and was nominated for Educator of the Year with the New Jersey Department of Education by her school principal. 

How do you add value? How do you take the gifts you’ve been provided to add value to other people’s lived experiences? That’s what keeps me here.”Dr. Kalenah Witcher '87

And if all of that wasn’t enough, Kalenah has recently turned to filmmaking. Her 18-minute documentary Muslims of Hunterdon Street, which she describes as a love letter to Newark, explores the cultural and religious life of a community often overlooked. The film has already screened in Philadelphia and Newark, and she plans to submit it to festivals this year. 

With a deep commitment to education and giving back, Kalenah currently serves on the Newark Academy Board of Trustees, and her family operates The Wilnora Holman Scholarship, named after her grandmother, which benefits students who have earned average grades and have educational goals beyond high school. Just as her mother instilled in her a passion for education, Kalenah is doing the same for her kids, sending them out into the world to become philanthropists and future leaders.