Deborah Davis, the principal of Early College in Anson County, is a natural. She loved school as a child and young adult. Academically, she excelled in college. She married a hometown man and settled in where she always knew she belonged: in the education environment of Anson County.

Davis has worn many hats during her nearly 30 years in education. On and off the school scene, she has worked with young people. Church leader, community events organizer and family cheerleader, she has taught through children’s sermons, through example as an organizer for People Fest, and through her love and support of her extended family. Never, however, has her work been of greater benefit than on those days she is inside a school where children come to learn.

Some students say Davis has a magic about how she manages students. As a teacher, an assistant principal and a principal, Davis manages to capture the hearts of her students before she appeals to their minds. She encourages students to love, obey and respect their families, their school and all who work there, their places of worship, and themselves. She under girds her appeal by learning names, grades, personal goals and personal trials of each student. She demands visible signs of respect within the school day by ruling out terms like "shut up," by checking for clothing too revealing or otherwise inappropriate, and by vigilance toward neatness within the school environment.

Lexi Landis, who passed the South Piedmont Community College (SPCC) entry test in the fall of her freshman year, praised Davis by saying that she is friendly to everyone and that it is obvious that she cares how each student does in school.

Academically, Davis may have met her biggest challenge when she stepped up to principalship to begin a new school under a new concept on the campus of SPCC. Anson County’s opportunity for an Early College came just three weeks before opening day in the fall of 2005. From hauling desks to recruiting students to knocking down walls for more classroom space, Davis was in the middle of it all as she also hired her first staff.

Since that chaotic beginning, order has reigned at Early College. Under Davis’ vigilant and daily attention to every detail, nearly 200 students and teachers work in a safe environment, set and achieve goals, make school trips, and proudly bring home academic awards for all the effort.

Asked his thoughts about Davis, Dareus Little, football player for the Anson Bearcats, said that she is a good principal because she is fair. Dareus explained that she punishes when it is necessary but she makes sure the punishment fits the crime.

Education needs Deborah Davis and the “magic” her students have referred to. In a troubled society that seems at times to have lost its footing, she exhibits certainty of purpose for her school: all shall learn. Thankfully, Anson County students have been the recipients of her outstanding skill and good judgment.