4 minute read
Inspire Magazine 2021
by adminscff
Passion for Leadership and Service Sends Frost to the Principal’s Office
Dr. Lashawn Frost ‘90 is in her 10th year as the principal of Booker Middle School in Sarasota, a position that she never would have imagined while attending Manatee Community College (now SCF) more than 20 years ago. At that time, she planned to be a lawyer and was still on that path when she completed her undergraduate degree at Florida State University.
A summer volunteer position in an outreach program working with teenage mothers changed all that. She felt called to leadership, and her passion for service led to a fervent, if somewhat abrupt, shift in career paths.
“I always knew I was a leader, and I also desired to help people, students, children,” said Frost. “I went home that summer and told my parents I had changed my mind about law school.”
Frost instead attended the University of South Florida to earn a master’s degree in education, later earning her doctorate and attending Harvard University’s Art of Leadership Institute to prepare for the rigors of leading a school in the 21st century. Her own experience finding her passion and turning it into a fulfilling career is emblematic of the motto she brought to Booker: “Where inner talent becomes outer strength.”
Frost cherished times she got to travel and see the world as a child and believes it helped shape the decisions she made later. She feels when she was a child there was less of a focus on establishing future careers, something she has made great strides changing at Booker.
“Every child has a talent and a passion for something. They know who they are, and we should be helping develop that and helping them see where that talent andpassion can lead for their future,” said Frost.
Accolades have been frequent and impressive for the work Frost has done at Booker, including 2019 recognition as Sarasota County Principal of the Year. While running a school is time consuming, she still finds time to lead in the community on the Art Schools Network board and as board chair for Girls Inc. of Sarasota County.
“Volunteering and giving back was ingrained in me from the time I was a young child,” said Frost. “I believe all educators should connect with their communities in ways that give back.”
Frost valued her time as a student at SCF, which allowed her to start college while staying near family and the community she loved. She has at times returned to the College in an adjunct capacity to teach future teachers and sees SCF playing an important role in the region.
“The College has improved opportunities for everyone. For children who don’t have a chance to go away to university, at least not right away, and also for parents and working adults who are seeking to better themselves.”
The global pandemic has affected the education field more than most, but Frost has seen it as a challenge to take head on and overcome. She says it has highlighted the importance of teaching educators to be creative leaders in finding ways to offer rigorous education to students and empowering both the students and the teachers to work through struggles created by pandemic restrictions without lowering standards for achievement.
Whether it’s the investment in the students and teachers under her direction and care at Booker, or giving back to the community, Frost’s enthusiasm remains boundless. She describes the work as “a mission,” and it’s a mission for which she has enough passion to last a lifetime.
“I’ll never stop giving back. I may ‘retire’ from my career someday, but to me, ‘retire’ means to stop, so I won’t really retire until I take my last breath.”
