Principal Bobby Davis hurried toward the cafeteria at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School after hearing that students were fighting. He found a crowd gathered around two teens and stepped in to separate them. Then the room erupted in a different kind of noise: “Happy Birthday!”
It was a surprise arranged by 17-year-old De’Zayviun Watkins, the student Davis had reached for in the crowd. Delighted, the Georgia principal began jumping up and down.
The celebration meant more to Watkins than a chance to pull off a memorable prank. He told TODAY that Davis had helped him through struggles with anger and fighting. Over time, their connection—built in part through Davis’ involvement with the football team—helped Watkins think about his future and care more deeply for others. Watkins now writes poetry, composes music and hopes to become an auto mechanic.
With his time at the school drawing to a close, Watkins wanted to give his mentor a birthday he would remember. “He single-handedly changed me for the better and he knows I could never take it for granted,” he wrote in a comment on the video.
Davis sees compassion as essential to helping students thrive. “If your kids don’t feel like they’re loved and respected, they’re not going to learn,” he told TODAY. “If they don’t feel safe, they’re not going to learn. You got to know your kids for who they are. They know if you really don’t care.”
Watkins has called himself a “bad kid,” but Davis has a different description for him: “a great kid.”
