A student who always had a love for school and an admiration for his teachers, Zionsville West (ZWEST) Principal Shawn Wooden naturally chose a career in education with hopes of having the same influence on the lives of the students and families he serves.

“I always enjoyed school as a student because of the great impact of many educators in my life.  I selected education as my profession because I wanted to have a similar positive impact on the lives of students.”

While Wooden is new in the role as principal of ZWEST, he is not a new principal. He left a principalship in another district back in 2016 when an opportunity became available to serve in Zionsville Community Schools (ZCS) as an assistant principal in the community that he calls home.

A seasoned administrator, Wooden has been in public education for nearly 25 years. He has served in a variety of roles including Instructional Assistant, Resident Youth Counselor, Educational Liaison, U.S. History Teacher, Dean, Assistant Principal, and Principal.

Serving his community

After serving as the assistant principal of ZWEST from 2016-2021, Wooden described being named the principal as a high point in his career. Wooden has been a resident of Zionsville since 2008 and takes great pride in caring for a school with such a respected reputation.

“I’m both humbled and honored to be named principal of this wonderful place. ZWEST has been home since our oldest daughter started at the school in 5^th grade in 2015,” said Wooden.

“I hope to continue the great legacy that Zionsville West has earned over the years. As we continue to grow as a community, I want to continue to make Zionsville West a place that people will be proud to call home.”

 A calling

Wooden describes serving as a public educator as a calling. He acknowledged that there is tremendous responsibility that comes with serving in this capacity.

 “There are many challenges that come with serving students and the local school community,” said Wooden. “I believe that enduring professional educators recognize and understand those many pressures. I believe that many sustain in the profession through professional advocacy, focused career development, and genuine concern for our students.”

Wooden credits his parents for being the biggest influences in his life. His father served as the lead minister and evangelist for their church for nearly 30 years, and his mother served in various aspects of real-estate, housing, and urban development. He said that while they did not serve as classroom teachers, they both served as school board members for different schools and their dedication to those roles and emphasis on the education he and his brothers received encouraged him in his educational pursuits.

His parents’ influence ultimately led him to a career in education. He has earned degrees and certifications through Indiana University Purdue University (IUPUI) at Indianapolis, Purdue University, and Butler University. Wooden is currently a second-year doctoral student in the College of Education at Purdue University.

The moments that mean the most

Wooden says he is most proud of his leadership in facilitating faculty and students in the school’s Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports initiative Make Great Choices.

“You can’t walk more than a few steps in any direction at ZWEST without seeing reminders to ‘Make Great CHOICES’. The [“CHOICES”] acronym stands for the behavioral traits of Character, Honesty, Organization, Initiative, Caring, Engaged and Safe,” said Wooden.

“We work together as a school community to teach students these ideas in every aspect of the school experience."

Following former ZWEST Principal Matt Doublestein’s lead

Wooden and Doublestein met 10 years ago when Doublestein was the Interim Principal at Zionsville Community School’s Stonegate Elementary School. Their paths crossed many times prior to Doublestein encouraging Wooden to join the team at ZWEST.

Wooden said that since joining in 2016, he and Doublestein have worked together to push ZWEST to a new level. Wooden said he is motivated to continue their work.

Wooden and his wife Tracy live in Zionsville and have four children who are ZCS students. Maddie (17) is a Junior at ZCHS. Their twins Paige and Emma (15) are Freshmen students at Zionsville Community High School (ZCHS). And their youngest son Carson (12) is in 6th grade at ZWEST.

The family resides in Zionsville.