This week we continue our series of articles highlighting the many faces of leadership throughout the CHSAA membership. Our hope is that by taking a small glimpse into the window of their leadership background, you will gain a greater understand of why they are such strong advocates for the vision and core values of the Colorado High School Activities Association.
Davlyn Edgett is an Assistant Principal/Activities Director at Rampart High School, in Academy School District 20 (Colorado Springs). This is her second year in this position, and her 13th year in education. Davlyn is a home town kid who graduated from Wasson High School, moved on to earn her B.A. in English from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, and then received her M.Ed in Educational Leadership from Arizona State University. Here are some excerpts from our conversation…
What has your journey in education consisted of?
I started teaching high school English in Colorado in the Spring of 2011, as an INR teacher. I was fortunate to retain my position, teach yearbook, and be the department chair. In 2015, my husband and I moved to Arizona where I continued teaching English and earned my master’s degree in educational leadership. I also had the opportunity to teach Student Leadership, sponsor Student Council, doing both while I was also the Junior English Curriculum Lead. In 2022, my family moved back home to Colorado Springs, where I began my admin journey as the Dean of Students and Interim Assistant Principal at Vista Ridge High School.
This is my first full year as an Assistant Principal at Rampart High School, and I am loving it! Rampart is an amazing place to work and District 20 is amazing. I love being valued for what I bring to the table and being trusted to do my job.
Talk about any sport or activity that you participated in during your college years.
I was a cheerleader at Adams State from 2006-2008. Cheerleading was my niche. I wanted to be a volleyball player, but it didn’t work out. Through my own experiences, I have learned that it only takes one activity or sport to keep a kid in school and motivated to be in school. Cheer is a place where both male and female athletes can thrive. Cheer taught me about who I wanted to be as a leader and how I wanted kids to see me. As a coach, it has helped me to build kids into great humans. It was never about the trophies or the time on the mat, it was about learning to communicate, work with people you might not like, and to grow as a person.
What are some of the challenges you face in your current position?
As a new assistant principal, the biggest challenge I face is not knowing what I don’t know. Being in a new district it is about learning a lot- systems, kids, and other people. Learning how to serve all stakeholders is not easy. I need to be aware of things happening on all levels, from the school board on down.
What do you love most about your school community?
I genuinely love that in our district, and particularly our school, there is a place for everyone. It is wonderful to live, work, and send my own kiddos to a school district where kindness is a value.
Share with us one mistake you may have made early in your career and what you learned from it.
One mistake I made early in my career was not asking questions! I think that often we don’t want to acknowledge that we don’t know something. I learned that it is better to admit you don’t know the answer and go find it, than pretending.
What is the significance of women serving in your current position?
As a woman of color, being in this position shows students that there is someone who looks like them in leadership, so they can absolutely do it too.
What needs to be done to open doors for more women to be in your position?
More women need to be celebrated and acknowledged for their contributions! Even small acknowledgements go a long way!
What is one tidbit of advice you would share with young women entering a male-dominated profession like yours?
Know that you are valuable and can do ANYTHING! The color of your skin and your gender have no determination on what you can accomplish in your life.
How do you see yourself impacting the next generation of female leaders?
I hope that by being authentic and genuine in this position shows young women that they can and should do the same thing in any profession their desire!
As we wrapped up our conversation, we talked about what Davlyn was looking forward to. “I love Colorado Springs, District 20, and Rampart High School,” Davlyn stated. As she looks ahead, she is excited to continue building positive relationships with students and adults, being a part of student successes (and helping them through failures) and being a support for adults as she continues to learn more about the community she loves. We look forward to hearing about all the great things Davlyn will accomplish.