When a student, parent, or even employee walks through the doors of Colleton County Middle School, many times the first person they see or talk to is the person who is at the front desk. Ms. Deresha Davis is that person at CCMS. She understands how she interacts with all these people can and will set the tone for their day. Her goal is to make that interaction as positive as it can be to lead to a successful day at school and work.
Ms. Davis is from Bamberg, just across the county line from Colleton and is a graduate of Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School. After high school Ms. Deresha enlisted in the Air Force and was assigned to air traffic control. She admits the job was stressful, but she enjoyed the challenge. She served in that capacity in Biloxi, Mississippi at Keesler Air Force Base and in San Antonio, Texas at Lakeland Airforce Base. After serving in the Air Force, Davis returned home for a little bit and attended Johnson & Wales University. She realized sitting at home as a civilian was not for her at this juncture in her life, and she joined the National Guard where she trained and became a Human Resource Specialist at the HHC 163rd Support Battalion in Hampton, a little closer to home.
After the military she began working as a substitute teacher. She started at CCMS in the alternate school, went to Forest Hills in the alternative school, and then she came back to the middle school. When she came back to the middle school, she taught Career Education upstairs which she considered a perfect fit for her. She was able to speak to the students about different opportunities such as the military or different careers due to her varied experiences. Ms. Deresha also felt it was and is important to talk to the students about other options than college. Academia is not for everyone, and she felt it was important for students to learn about these options such as plumbing, HVAC specialist, hair stylist/barber, automotive technician; a way for students to have a fulfilling and viable career without attending college.
A self-proclaimed people person, Deresha says the front desk is “amazing”. Like how the kitchen is often the heart of the home, she feels the front desk is the heart of the school. Here observation is very on point. When I came in to talk to Ms. Davis, there were people gathered around the front area talking and laughing discussing things before they get down to the nitty gritty of their day. She tries to lift spirits whether it’s complimenting a hairstyle, and outfit, or a simple “how are you doing today?” understanding that uplifting someone does not need to be a grand gesture. Sometimes a kind word is all it takes for someone to feel seen.
Professionally, Ms. Davis is furthering her own education by going to school for her bachelor’s degree in education with an emphasis on special education.
She is also a registered behavior technician. She has experience in the special education field starting at Forest Hills Elementary in their special education classes.
Ms. Deresha has also written a book titled “Culture Carriers” based on her experiences in life and in the education field. She feels that everyone who works in the CCMS building is a culture carrier by what they show the students. There is a custodian who sits with a student during lunch and helps this student everyday not because he has to, but because he wants to. Every support staff member, every custodial staff member, every food service member, every volunteer, and every person that steps foot in the school whether it be for an event or for work is a culture carrier to these students. For example, for testing the staff produced a video to encourage students. The Mayor of Charlotte participated, Live 5 News participated, Mimi’s Snack Shack, former students, and Jaquante Johnson from Jaquante Film + Co. compiled these videos to show to CCMS students to encourage them during testing to strive to do their best. Ms. Deresha firmly believes that these people influence students no matter how big or small the interactions are. Seeds are planted to bloom. She also has her own business named Davis Resilient Growth Academy. She finds places where the school may have a gap and steps in to fill it when needed. It may be a bullying situation where she is called upon by a parent to request she speak to a student about the situation and mentor them where she can. If it is not a situation that she can fill, she will organize and refer the request for help to someone who can. She knows these kids are watching. They see how she and other adults do and behave, and she models behavior that will have a positive influence on any and all students.
On a more personal note, Deresha has two dogs who she is a dog mom to and is currently engaged to another school district employee. Best wishes to them for their future.
For all her efforts, Ms. Davis was recognized as a “Above and Beyond” employee this year at a School Board meeting. As nice as the recognition is, that is not why she does what she does. She puts forth more than a job description in hopes of bettering and encouraging others with kindness and a genuine desire to inspire and uplift them.
