Maria L. Tukeva,
District of Columbia Public Schools, is principal of Bell Multicultural Senior High School. Mrs. Tukeva began her career in education in 1974, as an educational specialist for SER-Jobs for Progress, a national Hispanic organization. In 1976, she became an administrative director for Andromeda Mental Health Center in Washington, D.C., where she remained until 1979 when she assumed her present position. In 2000, Mrs. Tukeva received the principal of the year award from the National Association of Secondary School Principals. She holds BA degrees in Spanish literature and journalism from Penn State University and an MS in linguistics and bilingual education from Georgetown University.