Did you know that Sheridan is homegrown?

Submitted by Sheridan Community Schools

“Sheridan is homegrown.” What does that mean?

Sheridan Community Schools (SCS) has built a history and legacy of giving back to its community, even if that just means coming home. For SCS, coming home is shown throughout the district in the many educators, administrators, coaches, and staff members who once walked the halls as Sheridan students and have returned to serve the next generation of Blackhawks. Over 22 percent of Sheridan employees also attended and graduated from Sheridan.

Among those homegrown Blackhawks are Sheridan High School (SHS) Principal Rick Davis and Sheridan Elementary School (SES) Principal Valerie Roberts, both of whom graduated from SHS before building careers in education and ultimately returning to the community that helped shape them.

For Davis, who graduated from Sheridan in 1988, his experience as a student played an important role in his decision to return.

“I truly believe attending Sheridan provided opportunities for me to be involved in any and everything I wanted,” he said.

Davis said the small-school environment allowed him to build meaningful relationships with teachers and staff while also providing a supportive environment in which he could grow. After graduating from Sheridan, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Butler University and his master’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. He spent 12 years teaching biology, genetics, and anatomy and physiology at Western School Corporation before becoming assistant principal at Western High School. After two years as assistant principal, he served as Western High School’s principal for 11 years before accepting the opportunity to return to Sheridan.

Today, Davis serves as SHS principal and, this year, is also serving as principal of Sheridan Middle School.

“Whenever you are a principal, you always have tremendous pride in the school you serve … But when it is your alma mater, it can’t help but run deeper,” he said. “I feel like I get to give back to the community and school that gave so much to me. It is awesome to know the community, the people, the history, all while helping to shape the future of Sheridan Community Schools.”

Roberts shares a similar story. A 1986 Sheridan High School graduate, Roberts earned her degree from Purdue University in 1991 and her Master’s in Educational Leadership from Indiana Wesleyan in 2010. She began her teaching career in Fort Wayne and later Clarkston, Mich. When the opportunity arose to return in 1999, she knew she was coming home.

“Being a Sheridan student gave me a deep appreciation for what it means to be part of a school community where people know you, care about you, and believe in you,” she said. “There is something incredibly special about walking the same halls where you once walked as a student and now have the opportunity to serve students and families.”

Roberts said she remembers the teachers and adults who made an impact on her as a student, and those experiences continued to influence her throughout her career.

“I remember what it felt like to sit in those classrooms, and that perspective has stayed with me throughout my career,” she said.

Roberts said Sheridan is more than a school district to her.

“There is a strong sense of tradition and pride here, but there is also a genuine commitment to helping every student become the best version of themselves,” she said. “Being able to contribute to that, in the same community that helped shape who I am, is something I never take for granted.”

The presence of homegrown educators also helps Sheridan build a unique connection between past, present, and the next generation of Blackhawks.