The Key Test

Wren High School Principal Nichole Boseman ’02

Professor Harris Heath held a hefty set of keys in his hand. “What if,” he said, “one day those school keys were unexpectedly put on your desk? What would you do?”

For Nichole Boseman ’02, Heath’s famous “key test” was an eye-opening experience for an administrator-in-training. The blend of theory and real-world application offered by Furman’s School Leadership program was just what she needed.

So when she was asked to take the helm at a school of her own, Boseman was prepared.
Boseman, now the principal at Wren High School in Anderson School District One, said the transition from classroom teacher to administrator was a natural one.

She was teaching English at T.L. Hanna High School when she was selected as a teacher leader in the school and was later encouraged by district leaders to attend the Assistant Principals Academy at her school. She earned her master’s degree in secondary school administration from Furman in 2002.

Boseman served for a time as the Anderson District Five School-to-Work coordinator before becoming an assistant principal at T.L. Hanna. She joined the Wren High School faculty in 2006 as assistant principal, became director of the Freshman Academy, and later was appointed as principal of the 1,150-student school near Piedmont.

“It’s not a title-bearing position. You have to be willing to take work home with you,” she said of the principalship. “You have to be able to take compliments as well as criticism.”

Boseman keeps her role as mother of 11-year-old Nicholas in the forefront of her mind, especially when making decisions that will affect children. “I always think, if Nicholas was here, what would I want to see happen?” she said.

Hiring passionate and dedicated people is a vital component of a valuable instructional leader, Boseman said. “It’s all about empowering people to do right by kids,” she said. “My passion is working with students each day to help them achieve their goals and find their way in life.”

In her spare time, Boseman enjoys singing, traveling and taking pictures. She hopes to make time for a photography class in the near future.