School Principal And Her Students Receive Surprise Donations

By Stephen M

Hard work pays, and it becomes even more refreshing and fulfilling when you receive special recognition for it. After three years of dedication to her students, the principal of Digital Harbor High School, Taiisha Swinton-Buck, has received the Maryland Principal of the Year award.

As principal, Swinton-Buck has introduced several innovative activities that have increased attendance and performance. Using TikTok routines, she created a strong bond with her students and led by example, leading to record-setting grade averages and graduation rates. These outstanding results contributed to her winning the Principal of the Year for 2021.

AI Roker Surprises Digital Harbor High School

To make the achievement even more special, TODAY’s Al Roker met with her and some 100 students for a big surprise. Al Roker and TODAY through the “Once in a Lifetime” series, presented students of Digital Harbor with a brand-new Dell laptop. In addition, they will receive free internet access for a year.

Swinton-Buck who regards her students as “a beacon of light” in her life says the gesture means everything to them. She said the school is technologically focused, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. During the early years of the pandemic, computers connected students and teachers, allowing them to keep learning. Even with schools reopening, they don’t intend to drop technology so soon.

The donations are from NBCUniversal’s parent company, Comcast Corporation, and its Internet Essential program. Digital Harbor will receive 1,400 laptops from Comcast. The company is also donating 1,600 more laptops to other schools in Baltimore.

Swinton-Buck and her students couldn’t hide their joy and appreciation for the donation. The students had some good words to say about their principal.

Student Willian Aguirre said the principal “always greets her students with a lot of love.”

Dajuan Honeyblue couldn’t say enough good things about the principal, calling her the “best principal in the world.”