This elementary school principal and SPU doctoral student in education values the “individual brilliance” in each child.
For Cathi Davis, education has never been just a career. It’s a calling — one that began as a first-generation college student and evolved into a life of service, leadership, and love. Now the principal of Ruby Bridges Elementary in Woodinville, Washington, in the Northshore School District and a PhD education candidate at Seattle Pacific University, Davis was recently named the 2025 Elementary Principal of the Year by the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP). But she insists the honor belongs to her whole school.
“This award does not belong to me alone,” Davis said. “It recognizes the transformative work of my school team, our students, and our families who work alongside me to create a belonging-centered community.”
At Ruby Bridges Elementary — named for the iconic civil rights figure who, at just six years old, became the first Black child to integrate an all-white elementary school in Louisiana — the legacy of inclusion and justice is far more than symbolic. It’s lived out every day in hallways, classrooms, and playgrounds.
“When we had the honor of Ruby Bridges speaking to our students, she reminded them to resist ideas of separateness and stay in community,” Davis said. “I believe our students understand that learning together in a fully inclusive elementary school is a chance to be walking along this same path as Ruby did, removing barriers between students and groups.”
From its founding, Ruby Bridges Elementary has centered its mission on belonging. As a fully inclusive public school, all students — regardless of ability or need — learn side-by-side. Davis has been a driving force behind that vision, ensuring all children are welcomed and valued for their “individual brilliance.”
Davis’s passion for inclusive education is rooted in her belief that equity and justice aren’t abstract ideals. They’re expressed in everyday choices.
“There are no neutral actions,” Davis said. “Your words, your decisions, the spaces you take up and hold for others are all powerful. You can always decide to move in a spirit of equity and justice within your community.”
Her leadership has earned recognition beyond the school walls. Ruby Bridges Elementary is a demonstration site for the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Inclusionary Practices Network, hosting educators from around the state who seek to reimagine what’s possible in public education. Those who work alongside Davis say her influence is as personal as it is professional.
“Cathi leads with high expectations and, just as importantly, with deep belief in our ability to meet them,” said Ruby Bridges kindergarten teacher Kim Broomer. “She treats every child with the love, dignity, and high expectations they deserve, and when we struggle to do the same, she doesn’t lower the bar — she raises the support. That’s the kind of leader who makes a lasting impact.”
Davis remains deeply connected to her roots and to the community that shaped her. As a first-generation college student and now the first in her family to pursue a doctorate, Davis said her academic journey is a tribute to those who dreamed for her long before she could dream for herself.
“I am looking forward to finishing my dissertation this year so I can dedicate that work in part to my parents,” she said. “They have given every ounce of themselves dreaming for me before I could even dream for myself. My success is their success.”
At Seattle Pacific University, Davis has found a learning community that mirrors the values she brings to her school: compassion, reflection, and a commitment to justice.
“My time at SPU has helped me to stay on my growth edge and be supported to hold steady in the hard heart work of leading,” she said. “Each professor I’ve learned from has modeled love, justice, and mercy in their own unique way.”
That “hard heart work” defines much of what it means to be a school principal. For Davis, that means showing up for students in big and small ways — greeting them at the door, filling in staffing gaps, visiting classrooms, and stepping into challenges.
“I see my leadership work as an act of love,” she said. “And I connect deeply with Dr. Cornel West’s (nationally recognized philosopher, activist, and professor at Union Theological Seminary) assertion that ‘Justice is what love looks like in public.’” Davis said West’s words reflect her belief that love is not just a feeling, but a responsibility — a call to act in ways that create fairness, dignity, and belonging for others.
Davis’s hope is contagious. She dreams not only of sustaining the inclusive culture at Ruby Bridges Elementary but of expanding it, helping other schools and systems break free from outdated models of separation and embrace the power of community learning.
“I know my work matters because my kindergarten students will never get to be 5 years old again,” she said. “And I know I have worked to lead and create a space that ensures community for each one of them.”
From first-generation college student to statewide education leader, Davis has turned her journey into a gift — not only for her students, but also for the educational landscape of Washington state.
Inspired by Cathi Davis’s story? Join us – Seattle Pacific has prepared education leaders for over 100 years. Explore SPU’s graduate education programs today.
Photo credit: Association of Washington School Principals
