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Black History- An Educator’s Journey, Whitney Owens- First African-American LMS Principal

Whitney Owens, Principal at Lexington Middle School, was inspired at a young age by teachers and the passion they had for teaching.
Photo by: W. Clay Crook / The Lexington Progress

Article by Bettina Webb-

Whitney Kai Owens was born March 29, 1986 to Billy and Val Owens of Hollow Rock, TN. She has two sisters, Jessica Forney of Lexington, TN and Christina Owens of Hollow Rock, TN. Whitney also has a niece and a nephew whom she loves dearly.

At a young age, Whitney was inspired by former teachers and the passion they had for teaching. This piqued her curiosity and determination inside Whitney. When she graduated from Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central High School, she made it her mission to become a part of the educational community.

Whitney took her love of education and attended the University of Tennessee at Martin. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Human Performance. After graduating college, Whitney spent her time as a substitute teacher and later got a job as a paraprofessional at her alma mater Hollow Rock- Bruceton Central Special School District.

In 2010, she got a job with Lexington City School System as the Physical Education Teacher at Lexington Middle School. Throughout her time at Lexington Middle School, Whitney has coached a few sports, taught RTI Math, and served wherever needed. She finds her time mentoring students and serving teachers the most rewarding achievement of her career.

In 2016, Whitney went on to complete her graduate degree in Educational Leadership at Carson-Newman University. By the late Fall of 2016, the Assistant Principal position at…

For the complete story, see the February 10th edition of The Lexington Progress.

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2 Comments

  1. Betty Robison on February 12, 2021 at 11:22 pm

    Whitney, I am so proud of you. I keep up with you through Channel 7 and see all the
    neat and innovative ideas you are using in your school.

    Betty Robison
    Your First Grade Teacher
    Bruceton, TN

  2. Faith Lane on February 7, 2023 at 5:57 pm

    What an inspiration, I myself am aspiring to do the same thing where I live.

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