The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) revealed its top three contenders for the 2025 National Principal of the Year award. Principals Tracie Anderson Swilley, Andrew Rebello and Jon Wilcox have emerged as visionaries reshaping education through innovative leadership and an unwavering commitment to student success.
Tracie Anderson Swilley is principal of Fairfield Central High School in Winnsboro, SC. As principal of Fairfield Central High School, Anderson Swilley has supported the promotion of many of her assistant principals to the principalship, and she has promoted teachers within her building to the role of assistant principal. She has also mentored principals throughout the state. She believes that everyone can achieve with proper assistance and support
and uses data to guide her faculty and staff in best practices to improve student outcomes.
“These exceptional finalists exemplify the transformative power of visionary school leadership,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. “They’ve created vibrant learning environments where innovation flourishes, data drives decision-making and every student is empowered to reach their full potential. Their ability to cultivate leadership at all levels—from teachers to students—is truly inspiring and sets a new standard for what’s possible in our schools. At NASSP, we’re excited to support these leaders as they help reimagine our education system to meet the diverse needs of today’s students and tomorrow’s challenges.”
For the NASSP Principal of the Year program,
each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Schools and the Department of Defense Education Activity select one middle level or high school principal to represent their state or department, from whom three
finalists are chosen. The award recognizes outstanding middle level and high school principals who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to the profession.
The 2025 NASSP National Principal of the Year will be selected from among the finalists and announced October 18 at a gala in Washington, DC. To read more about each of the principals of the year, visit www.nassp org/poy.
