#LEADStaffSpotlight: Ashley Davis, LEAD Southeast High
Ashley Davis is an educator who is committed to reaching her students. Growing up, Davis struggled to make connections with the material she was learning in school. Now, as a 9th grade ELA teacher at LEAD Southeast High, she is making sure the same doesn’t happen to her students by making lessons relevant to their lives.
“I welcome questions like, ‘When am I going to use this in life?’ because that was a question I had frequently when I was in school,” said Davis. “When I was finally able to answer that for myself, I started to care. When I started to care, I decided to try. When I started to try, I became a better version of me! That is what I want for my students: For them to be the best version of themselves they can be.”
Davis is currently in her second year at LEAD Southeast High, where she teaches English I and serves as the 9th Grade Chair for the 2022-23 school year. Earlier in her career, Davis briefly left teaching to become a corporate trainer, but it didn’t take her long to realize she wanted to be back with her students in the classroom. “I decided teaching wasn’t my only passion. My other passion was also helping young adults prepare for post-secondary life.”
For Davis, teaching isn’t just about learning the curriculum – it’s about equipping students with the skills necessary to be successful in life. “I became a teacher to try to make high school relatable to my students, and to try to help them develop a life-long love for learning new things,” said Davis. “My hope is that my students are fulfilled in life. Whatever that looks like for them, I know communication skills and literacy will play a part in that.”
Not only is Davis using her class time to ensure her students are prepared for life after high school, she’s taking it a step further by piloting StepUp, a mentoring program that helps young girls define their dynamic view of success and explore various ways to achieve their dreams.
“Within this program, she is exposing students to different career clusters, mentorship, community service, and projects surrounding career development and individual success,” said Genevieve Byrd, principal at LEAD Southeast High. “She is committed to making sure every student is ready for college and ready for life!”
We are proud to have LEADers like Ashley Davis serving our students every day. If you’d like to nominate a LEAD staff member for a spotlight, please complete the nomination form here.
