Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
A woman with Quay County ties saw a Clovis school she leads earn a prestigious national award.
Zia Elementary School in Clovis recently received a Blue Ribbon Award — only one of three in New Mexico to receive the honor.
Kaylene Davis, who attended San Jon schools, became principal at Zia in 2022.
Davis uses a data-driven approach and worked to create an environment that supports teachers and inspires students at the school.
“With Miss Kaylene Davis as our guide, it really just warms our hearts to see that all of our work is finally being recognized,” said Marina Rodriguez, a first-grade teacher at Zia.
A former coach, Davis compared her approach to basketball.
“If you missed 15 out of 25 free throws, what are you going to do? You’re going to work on free throws. That’s kind of it. It’s like, what are we deficient in? What are our weaknesses? Where are our challenges? That’s what you work on. That’s what you make stronger. It’s just like coaching a team,” she said.
The driving force behind this growth mindset could be traced back to her hometown of San Jon.
A daughter of a farmer and a housewife, Davis recalled how the perfectionist in her was formed through her singing career.
She crooned country tunes from artists such as Tanya Tucker at weddings and talent shows, and she competed in the Miss New Mexico pageant when she was 17.
“I wanted to do the best that I could,” Davis said. “...My dad was a perfectionist as well, so he’d tell me, ‘You’re flat’ or ‘We need to change the key of that song.’”
The competitive and leadership side was developed through sports and programs including FFA.
“I always had the tendency to want to lead and be a leader,” she said.
Davis also was a reading specialist at Tucumcari Middle School from 2002 to 2012 and coached junior high volleyball there.
Davis eventually became an assistant principal at Clovis’ Yucca Middle School from 2013-2015, fulfilled the same role at Tucumcari Elementary School from 2015-2018, went to Bovina High School in Clovis from 2018-2022 before becoming principal at Zia.
The Eastern New Mexico News contributed to this report.