One program. Three principals. Countless students.

By: Cassidy Delamarter, USF College of Education

When students walk through the doors of Jefferson High School, LaVoy Exceptional Center and Roland Park K-8 IB Magnet School each morning, they enter three very different learning environments. All share the same city block in Tampa, but one serves a traditional high school population, another supports students with intellectual disabilities and the third nurtures learners through an internationally recognized IB framework.

Yet behind each campus stands a principal with something in common: a commitment to helping students thrive and a foundation built at the University of South Florida.

Principals Cara von Ancken, Jennifer Canady and Scottie Basham have each taken a unique path to educational leadership. Today, they lead schools that serve different student populations and communities across Hillsborough County Public Schools. While their leadership approaches and experiences vary, all three credit USF's Educational Leadership program with helping shape the leaders they have become.

Cara von Ancken's path to school leadership began in an entirely different field.

"I actually began my journey pursuing journalism, convinced I'd be chasing stories and writing headlines," she said. "But life had other plans."

The USF mass communications ‘00 alumna returned 8 years later to secure her master's degree in educational leadership at the College of Education.

“Watching my husband teach sparked something in me,” she said. 

Her first teaching job was at a Title I Renaissance school, which is a public school that serves low-income families.

“Let’s just say it was humbling in every sense of the word,” von Ancken shared. “It challenged me, stretched me and very quickly erased any illusions about the work. But it also ignited something powerful.”

After guidance from mentors, self-reflection and meaningful professional development, von Ancken said she started to find her purpose. 

Today, as principal of Roland Park K-8 IB Magnet School, she leads with a philosophy centered on relationships and belonging.

"For me, education is so much more than curriculum, standards or test scores—it is, at its heart, about people," she said. "When students know they belong, when teachers feel supported and when families feel connected, incredible learning naturally follows.”

Interested to learn alongside fellow teachers, von Ancken said she chose USF's Educational Leadership program because of its reputation for excellence and opportunities. 

"What truly inspired me was the rigor and prestige of the program itself," she said. "I wanted to be challenged, to grow and to surround myself with others who were just as passionate about education."

She also credits the faculty members who invested in her growth as a leader.

"They didn't just teach; they invested in us," she said. "Their guidance, mentorship and belief in my potential helped shape my leadership journey."

For Jennifer Canady, principal of Thomas Jefferson High School, her favorite time of year is graduation. 

"Seeing students succeed and accomplish goals, especially when they did not think they could do it is the most rewarding part,” she said.

A three-time USF graduate, Canady earned a bachelor's degree in English literature in 2007, a master's degree in reading education in 2009 and a doctorate in educational leadership in 2019.

Her journey at USF helped prepare her to lead one of the district's high schools and support students as they work toward their futures.

"I think USF's educational leadership program for an MA or doctoral degree is second to none," Canady said. "I would highly recommend it to anyone considering a degree in educational leadership."

Scottie Basham, principal of LaVoy Exceptional Center, has dedicated her career to elevating the experiences of students with disabilities and examining how educational systems can better serve all learners.

That sense of responsibility inspired Basham to pursue a master's degree in educational leadership in 2012 and later a doctorate in educational leadership in 2024. Her doctoral research focused on ableism in education and how deeply ingrained practices shape the experiences of students with disabilities and the schools that serve them.

"Becoming a principal gave me a platform to challenge systems, confront uncomfortable truths and advocate in ways I could not from the margins," she said.

Basham says her experience at USF continues to influence how she approaches leadership today. As Basham transitions into a new role with Hillsborough County Public Schools, she carries forward the same sense of responsibility that first led her into educational leadership.

"My time at USF shaped not only how I lead, but how I listen, how I reflect and how I show up for students and communities that have long been pushed to the margins," she said. "The work is never finished—but it is deeply worth doing."

Learn more about our graduate programs and explore pathways into leadership  

“We are very proud of these three exceptional leaders who have come through our master’s and doctoral programs and now lead three distinct schools in ways that highlight their distinct assets and commitments to education,” said Bill Black, associate dean of graduate studies. “The Educational Leadership and Policy Studies faculty at USF nourish partnerships with school districts and conduct practice-informed research to develop programs that develop leaders for a variety of settings and roles.”