25-12-Annual Report 2025_FINAL no bleed pages-1 - Flipbook - Page 36
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Living up
to the mission
Marquice Clark EdD ‘23, principal of
Cleveland Academy of Leadership,
makes a significant impact in his
school and community by living up to
the missions of Call Me MiSTER® and
Clemson University
Marquice Clark EdD ’23 would never claim to be the
sole reason behind revitalizing one of South Carolina’s
most challenging school settings. However, there’s
been a turnaround there since this 2023 Clemson
Ed.D. graduate progressed from teacher to assistant
principal to principal. It’s why he was recognized as
the 2025 South Carolina Elementary Principal of the
Year by The South Carolina Association of School
Administrators.
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There is a 17-year life expectancy difference between
four miles in Spartanburg. Children who grow up
on the North side – where Cleveland Academy is
located – die at roughly the age of 64. On the East
Side, they live to be approximately 81. The area has
a poverty index of 92.5% and a transiency index of
roughly 73%, meaning only around 23% of students
stay in school from kindergarten to fifth grade. The
school still deals with a chronic absenteeism index of
about 84%.
After graduating from Morris College and earning his
Call Me MiSTER® blazer, Clark served as a teacher
for years at Cleveland, serving the community and
affecting students one classroom at a time. When
the opportunity to become assistant principal and
principal arose, he saw the opportunity to make
a more significant impact. He pulled in several
