Principal Dorand Blackston

Dorand L. Blackston, Sr was born and raised in Wilson, NC. Mr. Blackston received his BS in Technology Education (2007) and his MS in Instructional Technology for the Business and Industry (2010) from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. During his eight years of service as a Technology teacher at Northern Guilford Middle School, Mr. Blackston was named Rookie Teacher of the Year (2008), coached various successful teams at the middle and high school (including Freshman Basketball and JV Basketball at NGHS, and  Boys Track), Student Council Advisor,Teacher  of the Year (2014).

It is through these various roles and accomplishments that Mr. Blackston discovered that he could have a greater impact on students, parents, and the community. With this enlightened sense of purpose and equipped with his “All Students Matter” mantra, he attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2015 to receive a Post Master’s Certificate in Administration. Because of his passion for service to the students of Guilford County, Mr. Blackston was selected as an Assistant Principal at T. Wingate Andrews High School in 2016 where he served until the end of the 2020 school year. 

Mr. Blackston then went back to his middle school roots to serve as an assistant principal at Mendenhall Middle School from 2020-2024.  During that time, he encouraged students to take advantage of the GCS Choice Schools options and apply for schools such as The Academy at Smith.  Mr. Blackston was also named an Assistant Principal of the Year finalist for the district during the 2023-24 school year for his outstanding work with all students and stakeholders that he served.

Mr. Blackston is the proud father of 3 wonderfully bright and talented sons, Dorand Blackston Jr., Braeden Blackston, and Mateo Blackston. In addition to spending time with his sons, his passions include family, Marvel movies, video games, and basketball. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. (Tau Epsilon Sigma Chapter) and belongs to Invincible Lodge #251 (P.H.A).