Today we would like to recognize Principal Aquan Grant of Westfield Preparatory High School. It’s because of women like you, we set our expectations extremely high to achieve greatness.
Grant is a Detroit native and Wayne State Alumni, earning a Master Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration. Her energy is contagious. She is always on the go. She expects everyone to be a leader, EVERYONE. She always says, “school is our job and grades are our paycheck.” These are just a few ways that students and staff describe Aquan Grant, Principal of Westfield Preparatory High School. Aquan strives for greatness and doesn’t shy away from a challenge. She continues to fight for education and is unwilling to settle for mediocracy. “If we are to achieve things never before accomplished, we must employ methods never before attempted.” These words by Francis Bacon are words that Principal Grant lives by each day. She is always striving for excellence in innovation and achievement. Perseverance has played a big part in her life and she believes that it allows all students to beat the odds.
Her motivation to persevere in all aspects of life comes from being a mother, which she considers her greatest accomplishment. “While I helped to bring her life, she gives life to me every day,” says Ms. Grant. “She motivates me to create amazing schools, and she encourages me to keep striving for greatness even in the face of opposition. She is a constant reminder as to why I’m dedicated to this life-changing work.” The depth of her motivation and determination makes her a great principal. She wants her teachers, students, and educational community to grow and achieve great things.
The next adventure in her principal journey is a new experience for her — she is working in her home community for the first time! Though she didn’t always plan on going into education and becoming a principal, she quickly realized her desire to be a principal when she worked part time in a middle school. She knew the landscape of education had to change, and she wanted to be part of that change. When she made the decision to switch her major to education, she never looked back.
Since then, she has stood by the belief that a great principal does the three Cs: create, collaborate, and coach. She has high expectations for her students and wants them to succeed. When students don’t quite think learning is cool, she provides them with relevance, support, and clear expectations because she believes these attributes are the key to making education real for all students. She feels that believing in their future grants you access to their learning. Every student deserves to have someone looking out for their education, and she is one of those people.
When she isn’t working to improve education, supporting her students, and running her school, she can be found writing poetry, traveling, playing cards, taking a cooking class, or spending time with her family. She wants to write a book someday, which could be her next big adventure.
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