Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Shawn was educated in the public school system that he would later return to. He earned his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Buffalo State College, then came home to teach at the very middle school from which he graduated. After seven transformative years, the persistent of the achievement gap and the disenfranchisement of underserved drove him to KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program). With added experience and KIPP's institutional strength, Shawn became a founding teacher at KIPP Bayview Academy in San Francisco, then Founder and Head of School for KIPP Polaris Academy for Boys in Houston - the first of its kind for KIPP. Through a Stanford University and NLU partnership hosted by KIPP, he earned a 2nd graduate degree in Educational Leadership.

Shawn’s roots run deep within the communities he serves. Of the 29 boys on his childhood block, 19 faced incarceration, 7 are known dead, only 5 graduated high school - and just one, Shawn, completed college. This stark reality fuels his mission.

After seven years with KIPP, he moved to Washington, DC, serving as Leadership Coach, Director of Charter Leadership Development, and ED of Program Delivery at New Leaders Incorporated, an urban school leadership development nonprofit. He advanced to Chief of Schools for both Friendship and Center City, DC public charter networks, supporting more than 9,000 students across nearly 20 campuses in DC and Baltimore.

Today, as Founder and CEO of Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys PCS, Shawn leads a boy-friendly middle school in Southeast DC. Grounded in research, community voice, and trauma-informed practices, Statesmen reimagines education through warm relationships, rigorous academics, and cultural experiences that include international travel. The program equips young kings with skills, character, and college readiness. They return as agents of change in their communities.