Stanley “Dawayne” Kirkman is a 1994 graduate of Todd County Central High School.
He values the experiences gained from many of his classes at Todd Central, including Oral Communication with Mrs. Dye, College Prep English with Ms. Wells, and history classes. He also loved being part of the yearbook with Mrs. Powell as well as the video yearbook, which he served as editor for.
He will always treasure the memory of the four plays he got to be a part of — “The Miracle Worker”, “Inherit The Wind”, “Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon” and “I’m Herbert.”
Kirkman says he is forever thankful to the many wonderful educators at the school and says they all left fingerprints on him that will last his entire life. He adds they helped him have a wonderful high school experience and prepared him for Berea College, and thanks them for believing in him, challenging him, and always being the “leading learner.”
To current Todd Central students, Kirkman offers the words of a Swahili proverb: “It is an unwise person that sits beneath a waterfall and dies of thirst.”
To current educators, a quote by fellow educator Lola J. May: “There are three things to remember when teaching: know your stuff; know whom you are stuffing; and then stuff them elegantly.”
After graduating, he attended Berea College where he majored in secondary education/history and minored in theater. He graduated in 1998, also earning a teaching certification for Kentucky and Ohio.
Kirkman went on to earn a master’s degree in history from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, in 2000 before pursuing a Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Dayton in 2018 and completing his dissertation, “Persisting to Graduation: Experiences of Degree-Seeking, First Generation, African-American Males at a Community College.”
There are two occupations of Kirkman’s that are particularly significant to him. He served as Director of Student Affairs and Chief Judicial Officer at Sinclair Community College for five years, where he was responsible for leading and implementing the mission of student affairs by providing students and the campus community with exceptional guidance and assistance as they worked to achieve their goals.
The other is his current position as Vice President of Student Affairs at Clark State College. There, Kirkman is responsible for all enrollment services, student engagement, access and retention services, and locations in Beavercreek, Bellefontaine, and Xenia. He also co-chairs all Achieving The Dream (ATD) efforts and supports the institutionalizing of trauma-informed practices, both of which he says are equity-minded actions with a focus on closing achievement gaps.
Kirkman was born in Russellville, Kentucky, and currently lives in Fairborn, Ohio, with his wife Johanna. He has three children, Daisy Lynn, Lukas John, and Lillian Elisabeth.
Spotlights on Todd Central alumni are part of a partnership between WEKT and the TCCHS Alumni Foundation, Inc. To be featured, please visit the Alumni Foundation’s website to fill out the application.
