This article profiles Gail Awakuni, principal of James Campbell High School in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, who was named the 2005 MetLife/NASSP National High School Principal of the Year. From the beginning, Awakuni had a dream for the students of James Campbell High School. She knew that they had untapped potential, despite the fact that the school had the lowest graduation rate in the state and serious discipline problems that made headline news in the local newspaper. So in July 2000, Awakuni arrived at James Campbell and started changing people's lives. Four years into her tenure, the 2,100 students at Campbell have made significant gains that cannot be ignored. Post-high school scholarships have increased from $700,000 in 1999 to $4.8 million in 2003. Daily attendance rose from 87% in 1999 to 94% in 2003. The discipline and retention rates have decreased, and the number of honor roll students has increased. Working with teachers and staff members, Awakuni has set her focus on reculturing the school to instill a schoolwide sense of responsibility, trust, pride, and high achievement. Her reform efforts have centered on proven best practices, such as professional learning communities, personalization through small communities of learning, and a rigorous curriculum. And the students have benefited.