At NASSP, we bring together school and student leaders to reimagine and rebuild an education system that meets every student’s needs. This mission is based on the powerful idea that when we have everyone in education—from students to school leaders—sharing their expertise and uniting their voices, the world will listen.
This idea was put into practice during NASSP’s Trailblazing Leadership Week, April 3–5, in Washington, D.C. The event brought together the State Principals and Assistant Principals of the Year, the National Honor Society Scholarship finalists, and their advisers to recognize their accomplishments and connect with one another.
Just as important, attendees brought their expertise to lawmakers and officials on Capitol Hill. To kick things off, students and school leaders shared the greatest challenges they face and their concomitant solutions with senior staff from the U.S. Department of Education. Later that day, they met with education officials at the White House: Mario Cardona, Senior Advisor for Early Childhood Development and Education; Jessica Cardichon, Special Assistant to the President for Education; and Rob Wilcox, Deputy Director of the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Students and educators offered their expertise on improving school safety and culture.
NASSP Board Member Evelyn Edney, the head of the Early College School at Delaware State University in Dover, DE, shared her reflections on Trailblazing Leadership Week’s last day. “Twenty years ago this week, I was one of three national finalists for National Assistant Principal of the Year,” she said. “I know the tremendous amount of work that goes into being an AP—all the real magic they perform behind the scenes to make sure their kids succeed. So often this magic goes unseen and without thanks, so it’s incredible to honor their work here.”
Attendees also took time to enjoy the sights in Washington, D.C. They explored museums, connected over meals (or a semi-competitive game of miniature golf), and discussed how they could take back the lessons they learned from one another to their communities.
The highlight was NASSP’s Friday night gala, where student leaders and assistant principals celebrated in a ballroom at the Willard hotel. The event began with the 25 NHS Scholarship finalists each receiving certificates and a $5,625 scholarship, an impressive feat considering that nearly 17,000 competed for the top $25,000 prize.
That prestigious honor went to Ella Mayor, a senior from Santa Susana High School in Simi Valley, CA. A dedicated volunteer, public speaker, and healthcare advocate, Mayor has served as president of her NHS chapter for two years, and she has collaborated with the nonprofit Forever Found to donate clothing to trafficked children in India, Thailand, and Ethiopia.
NHS awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to 600 high school seniors this year. At the Gala, four other finalists were each awarded a $10,625 scholarship for embodying the pillars of NHS:
- Elizabeth Djajalie from Juneau, AK, for Scholarship;
- Chase Hartman from Tampa, FL, for Service;
- Jensen Coonradt from Oswego, IL, for Leadership; and
- Aadya Gattu from Warrington, PA, for Character.
“These NHS scholarship winners are leaving behind an incredible legacy as they embark on their next adventure,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. “Throughout their time in NHS, they’ve tackled challenges from child trafficking to health literacy, published critical work including poems, research and a children’s book, and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for worthy causes. Their tremendous efforts reflect what NHS is all about.”
The other evening’s winner was Courtney Walker, assistant principal of Carrollton High School, in Carrollton, GA, who was named the 2024 National Assistant Principal of the Year. Her implementations of Professional Learning Pathways and Common Course Teams reflect her commitment to empowering teachers as leaders and improving student outcomes using data-driven instruction and shared leadership. She also won the honor for her efforts to support school counselors in developing personalized academic plans tailored to student interest and ability.
“Mrs. Walker is the definition of a servant leader,” said Carrollton City Schools Superintendent Mark Albertus. “She is a dedicated and passionate educator who truly cares about the success and well-being of our staff and students. We are fortunate to have her at Carrollton City Schools and I am very proud NASSP acknowledged the significance of her leadership in education.”
NASSP will keep bringing together school and student leaders to grow their skills and make lasting change at the following conferences: UNITED: the National Conference on School Leadership, the National Honor Society Conference, and the National Student Council Conference.