Shavawn, a Charleston native, arrived at Meeting Street Academy with 10 years of education experience accumulated in Lexington School District II, where she served as a classroom teacher, data team leader and trainer, after-school coordinator, and reading coach. Since then, she has served here at MSA for 7 years, first as a 5th grade math teacher, preparing students to master the content, advocate for themselves, excel beyond the walls of MSA, and ultimately help prove what’s possible in an effort to change the narrative of education in SC. From there, she was named Extended Day Director and the first Assistant Principal at MSA. Both leadership roles provided her with opportunities to interact with and get to know many of you, our amazing MSA family, whom she loves dearly. Since being appointed Principal, she continues to exemplify the things she cherishes most as an educator: high expectations for students, high expectations for teachers and staff, and even higher expectations for herself. Shavawn works relentlessly alongside teachers to improve achievement by focusing on the quality of instruction and ensuring that students have the proper support to aid them in reaching their goals. She operates with a lot of love, which drives her passion to ensure that each child she serves is advocated for as if they were her very own. Principal Milford takes pride in serving her MSA Owls, whom she lovingly refers to as future history makers, barrier breakers, and world changers.

Passion Project: Educate to Empower

“Life is a journey, not a destination. There are no mistakes, just chances we’ve taken. Lay down your regrets ’cause all we have is NOW.” – India Arie

“Courage starts with showing up and allowing yourself to be seen.” – Brenè Brown

Pathway to Success: Grit