Mr. Mitchell Balingit is the proud principal of Collins Elementary School. He believes deeply in building strong relationships and trust with staff, students, and families. These values have helped create the caring and connected culture at Collins Elementary.
Born in Manila, Philippines, Mr. Balingit was raised in Southern California. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley. After working as a small business consultant, he discovered his passion for education and earned his elementary teaching certification. He began his teaching career at Washington Elementary in San Leandro, California.
In 2001, he and his wife, Jennifer, moved to Grand Rapids, where he taught in Kentwood Public Schools before serving as an assistant and head principal in Grand Rapids Public Schools. He became principal of Collins Elementary in 2010 and has loved every minute of it. Mr. Balingit is happily married and has twin daughters, Johanna and Katherine, who attend Kalamazoo College and Drake University. In his free time, he enjoys playing pickleball and tennis, cooking, hiking, boating, reading biographies, and spending time with his family.
