Dr. Henry's Story

My Story

The Story of Dr. Sean Mandell Henry

Dr. Sean Mandell Henry doesn’t just speak about leadership. He’s lived leadership his entire life.


As a child, Dr. Henry’s parents, James and Jerrie Henry, noticed inherited characteristics, gifts, and talents in him that were both unique and in desperate need of cultivation.


At five years of age, his formal education began, as he was enrolled in a speech therapy school to help train his tongue to overcome an inherited family characteristic of speaking with an uncontrolled southern drawl.


Although this initial ‘learning to speak correctly’ experience embarrassed and discouraged him due to one of the most painful memories and results of student ridicule, the teacher wiped his eyes and said, “It’s going to be all right. You did well!”


This was when he fell in love with the concept of “teacher” and was introduced to the beginnings of his comprehension and the essence of leadership. 

As the leader in him began to grow, his parents became inspired to find a school that “caters to the students’ needs.” They eventually found a public school that offered a Montessori program.


In that environment, Dr. Sean Mandell Henry received personal help in all of the basics of the curriculum, with the added luxury of having a smaller teacher-to-student ratio.


As a result, he received extra individual attention that proved beneficial, as a teacher discerned that he had musical abilities, based upon his presentation to the class. So, his parents enrolled him into private music lessons to cultivate the musical talents he possessed.


This eventually brought him to the performing arts magnet program of the fiercely-competitive Shortridge Middle School.


While focused on his music and academics studies at SMS, several of his teachers took him under their wings. Their personal lectures and advice helped him to understand the possibility of achieving a bright future through setting and achieving personal goals, and utilizing them to help others.


One of which was a plan that would prepare him to audition for Broad Ripple High School; a high school that housed both the Math/Science and the Performing Arts programs. He auditioned and was accepted to both programs, but elected to go with the music magnet as a continuation of his formal musical training.


While there, he won a variety of awards from the Indiana State School Music Association for group performances, solo performances, and leadership.


The most prestigious award was winning 1st place in an Indianapolis play competition, where, in light of a personal tragedy, he wrote, casted, and directed this original, award-winning play.

Although his high school activities gave him an opportunity to display and cultivate untapped qualities, his experience in the Upward Bound program at Indiana University radically changed his perception of his future in obtaining an education.


Upward Bound sharpened his thinking, his ability to research, and his study skills. He found himself interacting with other students who were seeking similar goals. This allowed him to learn organizational structures and led to his first campaign for student leadership.


He was elected the president of the Upward Bound Student Government, leading 250 students and facilitating discussions with 35 faculty and staff members inclusive of the administration.


During his time at Broad Ripple High School, Dr. Sean Mandell Henry learned how to manage his time for all of his activities and tasks effectively.


This included playing varsity basketball while studying both his music and academics, and serving the last two years of high school as the Head Drum Major of the marching band.


It also extended to him playing the drum set for both the high school Jazz Band and Contemporary Choir, while also serving as Head Drum Major of the IPS All-City Marching Band.


As Head Drum Major, he studied college bands to help improve his high school band. He began to adopt the HBCU style, which stimulated a deep desire to become a ‘Black College Drum Major.’


And, through his high school band director, Dr. Sean Mandell Henry received an audition opportunity for the Central State University (CSU) marching band. He skillfully earned his first college band scholarship and began what would come to be both his leadership and educational ascensions.


One year after he began his academic career at CSU, he auditioned for and earned one of two spots available to finally become a college drum major. Later, as a result of an injury suffered by the Head Drum Major that limited his participation, he became the lead drum major.


By the next year, Dr. Sean Mandell Henry earned the position of Head Drum Major for the Central State University Invincible Marching Marauders.

As his academic career continued, Dr. Henry found himself interacting with other non-band-affiliated CSU students who were seeking similar academic goals. He became intrigued with the organizational structures of the student body, which led to his observation of the need for student leadership.


Subsequently, Dr. Henry engaged in various social and academic societies. This led to him being elected Student Government Vice President his junior year and President his senior year.

Serving as the main representative and spokesperson for the entire student body, Dr. Henry was exposed to situations, people, and opportunities that provided the chance for him to observe the operation and purpose of the University from a perspective that was unique and unavailable to most college students.


In 1995 at Central State University, his first degree, ‘Bachelor of Science in Education,’ was conferred upon him.


After CSU, Dr. Sean Mandell Henry became a teacher in the Dayton Public Schools and enrolled into Payne Theological Seminary. Due to the combined work and school loads, he began to re-examine his time management techniques and work ethic to successfully complete his educational objectives.


And, on May 20, 1999, his second degree, ‘Master of Divinity,’ was conferred upon him.

Following the inspiration gleaned from his previous collegiate student government presidency, Dr. Henry followed his passion and pursued the Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership degree under the mentoring tutelage of his doctoral committee comprised of five college Presidents:


  1. Dr. Arthur E. Thomas (Central State University)
  2. Dr. Frederick S. Humphries (Florida A&M University)
  3. Dr. Joseph B. Johnson (Grambling State University)
  4. Dr. James A. Heffner (Tennessee State University)
  5. And Dr. James L. Fisher (Towson State University), author of “The Effective College President,” who taught Dr. Henry and examined his leadership methodology.
     
    This led to Dr. Henry’s replication and then tailoring of Dr. Fisher’s original leadership research to Historically Black College and University (HBCU) presidents specifically.

This was a huge part of the beginnings of Dr. Henry’s ‘Lived Leadership™’ mantra. And on July 31, 2009, with the culmination of these powerful education and leadership mentors, Dr. Henry’s third degree, ‘Doctor of Philosophy,’ was conferred upon him.


Later, Dr. Henry heeded the advice of his doctoral mentoring committee and continued his career as a K-12 educator in the Dayton Public Schools while waiting for the right opportunity to pursue an HBCU presidency.


As Dr. Henry served, leadership opportunities began to present themselves.


He decided to pursue and obtain the educational leadership licensure from the State of Ohio, which helped pave the way to him becoming the 12th principal of the historic Paul Laurence Dunbar High School of Dayton, Ohio.


During that time, Dr. Henry also made the decision to attend the American College of Education in Indianapolis, IN to earn his second master’s degree.

And, on December 20, 2015, that very degree, ‘Master of Education in Educational Leadership,’ Dr. Henry’s fourth degree overall, was conferred upon him. 

Dr. Henry continued his service via various educational leadership teams throughout southwest Ohio, advocating for equity and opportunity for all students.


As Dr. Henry continued to develop literature and complete his educational leadership licensure from the State of Ohio, he worked simultaneously as both principal and superintendent intern to the eventual “State of Ohio Superintendent of the Year.”


As a result of nearly three decades of continuous service, he gained and consistently exhibited a high level of expertise in the application of researched strategies in urban educational settings.


He delivered professional development opportunities to faculty and staff on all levels, increasing student achievement and improving the educational environment for all.


And, on June 21, 2022, Dr. Henry’s fifth degree, ‘Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction,’ was conferred upon him. 

Dr. Henry engaged in a variety of leadership and speaking experiences, earning him several positions and distinctions:


  • Pastor, Second Baptist Church (Hamilton, Ohio)
  • Associate Pastor, Corinthian Baptist Church (Dayton, Ohio)
  • Assistant Pastor, Central Baptist Church (Dayton, Ohio)
  • Intern to the President, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC, Dayton Chapter)
  • Youth Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church (Dayton, Ohio)
  • Keynote Speaker, Stop The Violence Campaign, SCLC
  • Keynote Speaker, Black History Speaker, Third Baptist Church (Xenia, Ohio)
  • Who’s Who Among American Teachers
  • Keynote Speaker, Youth Conference, Corinthian Baptist Church (Dayton, Ohio)
  • Community Outreach Coordinator, Baptist Minister’s Alliance (Indianapolis, Indiana)
  • Keynote Speaker, Youth Conference, Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church (Indianapolis, Indiana)
  • Black History Speaker, United States Postal Service (Indianapolis, Indiana)


Throughout his remarkable leadership and educational career, Dr. Henry has consistently inspired and motivated teams to achieve game-changing results.


His exceptional history of leadership is defined not only by his inspiring communication, unwavering integrity, and inclusive collaboration, but also his commitment to continuous personal growth.


And his example of 'Lived Leadership™' sets a new standard for aspiring leaders and serves as a powerful inspiration for those striving to both make a difference and leave a lasting legacy in the world.

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