Gabisi as the school's new principal, effective January, 1993.

Thirty-nine-year-old Mrs. Gabisi will become the Pembroke high school's first female principal in its history.

Since Dr. Clifford Maxwell retired in December, 1990, the school has operated with an acting principal.

"I'm really very excited about my appointment,'' said Mrs. Gabisi at a press conference yesterday. "I'm certainly looking forward to coming back and contributing to my alma mater.'' Board chairman Mr. Terry Lister said seven "outstanding Bermudians'' had applied for the position.

"Her appointment signals the closing of our chapter for being without a headmaster,'' he said. "We're now concentrating fully on moving Berkeley forward throughout the nineties to being the best senior secondary school it can be, come 1995.'' Mrs. Gabisi, who expects to be principal when Government's education reforms take place in 1995, declined comment on the sweeping changes.

But she said: "I am certainly looking forward to any changes which will take place.'' Mr. Lister added that as principal, it was Mrs. Gabisi's responsibility to ensure "the transaction takes place from being the high school we are, to the best senior secondary school we can be''.

Mrs. Gabisi is presently serving as the head of the Bermuda High School for Girls (BHS) senior department, a position she has held for three years.

She was educated at the Berkeley Institute from 1963 until 1968 and took a final year of secondary study at the Sixth Form Centre.

She completed her undergraduate studies in biochemistry at the University of Liverpool which she completed with honours.

A postgraduate certificate in education was received from the University of Reading in 1975 and a Masters degree in management and human resources development from Webster University in 1988.

In addition to her teaching at Berkeley Institute and BHS, Mrs. Gabisi has taught at Rivers State School of Basic Studies in Nigeria and the Latymer School in London, England.

"She has experienced almost equal time between Government and independent schools,'' said Mr. Lister.

Mrs. Gabisi has had several years of administrative experience, performing such duties as organising a student leadership conference and developing a system for staff evaluation at BHS.

Since Dr. Maxwell retired, Mrs. Patricia Holder has been serving as Berkeley's acting principal.

MRS. MICHELLE GABISI -- Berkeley's first female principal.