Every school is only as good as its teachers. Darnell-Cookman’s annual pursuit of A-rankings has been largely fueled by its faculty. And even though we have seen a number of teachers come and go, some teachers have stayed at the school for an impressively long time.

One of these teachers is Dr. Adrianna Davis – who recently was recognized as Darnell-Cookman’s Teacher of the Year. Dr. Davis (who has a Ph.D.) has been at Darnell-Cookman for 13 years, and she has been instrumental in pioneering the school’s high school medical program. This year she instituted the new Principles of Biomedical Sciences course. Prior to coming to DC, Dr. Davis worked at three other high schools, including two in Miami and Grand Park Education Center in Jacksonville.

Dr. Davis’s road to the classroom came because of a desire to help build the next generation. “I wanted to help children navigate life by helping them learn the skills that they need to be successful in life,” she said. “I enjoy working with children and I love teaching science.” Being devoted to Darnell for so many years, she also explains “I like the fact that Darnell is a dedicated medical magnet and I am able to utilize my medical background to teach the subjects that I currently teach. Darnell also has programs like YEAH that gives students exposure to the medical field. I stay because of the small family environment and the wonderful colleagues that I work with.”

It’s nice having good teachers that are committed to helping students. They are very appreciated for helping build students’ futures. Furthermore, teachers play a big part in students’ lives. Knowing we have devoted teachers at Darnell-Cookman is reassuring for the Vikings at our school.