Reston, VA — The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) today named Kyle Campbell, Bebi Davis and Misa Sato as the finalists for the 2023 NASSP National Assistant Principal of the Year award.


Kyle Campbell, Snow Canyon High School, St. George, UT


Campbell’s passion for education can be traced back to his childhood in East Los Angeles, where his parents instilled in him a love for sports and a deep appreciation for learning. Prior to his current role, Campbell served as an ESL and Spanish teacher at Snow Canyon, Title I Coordinator at Sandstone Elementary and Athletic Director at Desert Hills High School. As an assistant principal, Campbell is committed to meeting the needs of every student he serves. His favorite part of the job is building relationships with students, helping them believe in themselves and guiding them through challenging times to reach their full potential. Recently, he more than doubled the students of color enrolling in AP courses by meeting with prospective students one-on-one to discuss how these classes could help achieve their goals.


Dr. Bebi Davis, Kawananakoa Middle School, Honolulu, HI


After relocating from Guyana in 2002, Davis spent 12 years teaching physics and chemistry at Farrington High School, where she earned recognition as a recipient of the 2005 Milken Educator Award and the 2009 Hawaii State Teacher of the Year Award. She then served as a STEM secondary school resource teacher in Honolulu for five years before taking on her current position as Vice Principal at Kawananakoa Middle School. Recently, she shifted instruction from teacher-centered to student-centered, in part by integrating computer science concepts and social-emotional-learning into all content areas. Outside of work, she spends her spare time mentoring students and teachers for science projects, as well as judging at science and engineering fairs. Davis is a proud alumna of Walden University, where she earned her EdD, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she obtained her PhD.


Misa Sato, Reagan High School, Milwaukee, WI


Under Sato’s guidance, Reagan High School has experienced remarkable progress in student achievement. The school received the Wisconsin RtI Center Gold Award in Reading, Behavior and Math in both 2021 and 2022, and students consistently outperform their peers statewide on several key measures. Additionally, the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Career Program has seen significant growth under Sato’s leadership, with student enrollment increasing from seven to 155. The program now offers pathways in health science, technology and education. Sato also collaborates with the IB to provide professional development and support the implementation of programs at other schools. In response to the lack of diverse teaching candidates, Sato created a program supporting her school’s high-achieving students pursue a teaching career. Through her efforts, she currently has two alumni on staff. Sato holds an MA in Educational Policy and Leadership from Marquette University and an MBA in Education Leadership from Milwaukee School of Engineering.


“Mr. Campbell, Dr. Davis and Ms. Soto’s unwavering commitment to the academic success and well-being of their students is nothing short of remarkable,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. “They are making a profound impact on the lives of our future leaders, and we are honored to celebrate their accomplishments. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, and keep up the amazing work.”

For the NASSP National Assistant Principal of the Year program, each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Schools and the Department of Defense Education Activity select one middle level or high school assistant principal to represent their state or department, from whom three finalists are chosen. The award recognizes outstanding middle level and high school assistant principals who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to the profession.

The 2023 National NASSP Assistant Principal of the Year will be announced on April 23 at a gala bringing together National Honor Society Scholarship finalists and state principals and assistant principals of the year. To learn more about the award, visit www.nassp.org/apoy.


Photos and interviews available upon request.