Meet the Principal
Justin Skaalerud, Principal
Justin Skaalerud is in his third year as principal at Apollo High School after spending three years as an assistant principal at Apollo. He started teaching in St. Cloud Area School District in 2006. After spending four years teaching at Tech High School and North Junior High School and one year at Kennedy Community School, Principal Skaalerud spent 7 years teaching at Apollo High School before becoming the activities director for Apollo in 2018. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Social Studies Education from St. Cloud State University (SCSU) in 2005, a master's degree in Educational Administration and Leadership in 2010 and completed his K-12 Principal and Superintendent License in 2019 from SCSU.
Courtney Gordon, Assistant Principal
Courtney Gordon is in her first year as assistant principal at Apollo High School. Gordon previously worked in District 742 as a dean of students before taking a position in the Anoka Hennepin school district as assistant principal at an elementary school. She started her career in the St. Cloud Area School District in 2018, and has worked at North Junior High School and Apollo High School throughout that time. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science from St. Cloud State University in 2015, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership in 2020 and completed her K-12 Principal License in 2022 from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. Gordon is proud to be from the St. Cloud community and is passionate about the power education has to provide unique opportunities for all students.
Ahmed Hassan, Assistant Principal
Ahmed Hassan has served the St. Cloud District 742 Public Schools since 2012 as a paraeducator, bilingual communication support specialist, educational equity outreach coordinator, administrative intern and dean of students. He earned a Bachelor of Science from St. Cloud State University in 2017, a master's degree in educational administration and leadership in 2020 and completed his K-12 Principal License in the Summer of 2022. Additionally, he participated in a two-year Principal Academy Cohort at the University of Minnesota from 2023-2025.
Mr. Hassan is a tenured assistant principal at Apollo High School and is fortunate to be part of the Apollo Community. He looks forward to bringing his experience to help create an inclusive, collaborative and positive school environment that fosters a sense of belonging and welcomes all students, staff and the community as a whole, regardless of their background.