LAGRANGE, Ga. - Callaway Middle School Principal Clifton Nicholson walked into his school's media center Wednesday and found cheering students, his staff and a visitor holding a plaque. The visitor was Cheryl Riddle, executive director of the Georgia Association of Middle School Principals, and the plaque was the Jerry Davis Georgia Distinguished Principal Award. The association gives the award each year to a small group of middle school principals across the state, the Troup County School System said in a news release Wednesday.

The award is sponsored by Corebridge Financial and named for educator and past association president Jerry Davis, according to the release. The association, known as GAMSP, is an affiliate of the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders. The plaque Nicholson held for photos lists him as the 2026 recipient for Callaway Middle School in District 13 and cites "outstanding leadership and service to middle students."

"Only a small number"

Riddle told the crowd that few principals receive the award in any year. "Each year, only a small number of middle school principals from across the entire state of Georgia are selected to receive this distinguished honor," she said, according to the release. "Today, we're excited to recognize one of those exceptional leaders, Callaway's very own principal, Dr. Clifton Nicholson."

Riddle said Nicholson's selection followed what she called a "tremendous nomination" describing his impact on the school community. The release did not say who submitted the nomination. The association normally announces recipients at its fall conference, and Riddle has traveled to schools to present the plaque in person, as she did at a Colquitt County middle school in November 2025, that district said at the time.

Students backed up the nomination in the release. "He tries to make everyone feel welcomed and feel like they belong at Callaway Middle School," one student said after the announcement. "I feel like he deserves all the awards he can get because he's a great principal."

Nicholson kept his own remarks short. The district described him as emotional as he faced the crowd. He told students and staff he had "prayed for a job and school like Callaway Middle," according to the release.

Three and a half years at Callaway

Nicholson is in his fourth school year at Callaway Middle. The Troup County Board of Education approved his hiring at a special called meeting on May 8, 2023, and his first day was June 12, 2023, the LaGrange Daily News reported at the time. He replaced Todd McRae, who resigned to take a job outside the district, the newspaper said.

He arrived with 21 years in education, according to the newspaper. He taught language arts for nine years in Atlanta Public Schools and Fulton County Schools, then spent three years as an instructional coach. He moved into administration after that and had nine years as an assistant principal and principal before coming to LaGrange.

His administrative team at Callaway includes three assistant principals, one for each grade, according to the school's website. Lakeisha Ector handles eighth grade and serves as registrar. Petra Pollard oversees seventh grade and testing, and Melanie Hill oversees sixth grade along with safety and transportation.

Callaway Middle by the numbers

Callaway Middle sits at 2244 Hammett Road on the south side of LaGrange, about 45 miles north of Columbus by Interstate 185. It is one of three middle schools in the Troup County School System, along with Gardner Newman and Long Cane, according to the district's website. Federal school data give a picture of the building Nicholson runs.

The school's stated mission is "collaboratively preparing students for college and careers," its website says. Its vision line is shorter: "High Expectations. High Achievement. Every Day." The National Center for Education Statistics listed every one of the school's 656 students as eligible for free lunch in 2024-25.

The award and its sponsor

The Jerry Davis award dates to 2011, according to a Colquitt County Schools release about its own 2025 recipient. Houston County Schools said in 2022 that it had the most recipients of any district, four at that point. Recent winners include principals in Tift, Houston, Colquitt and Carroll counties, according to those districts' announcements.

Corebridge Financial is the award's longtime sponsor, the Troup County release said. The company "partners with GAMSP each year to recognize and invest in outstanding school leaders across Georgia," according to the district. The release did not say whether the award includes a cash prize.

The district posted seven photographs and two short videos from the ceremony on its website Wednesday afternoon. They show Nicholson with Riddle, with his assistant principals, with a group of students and with a line of staff members in Callaway red in front of the media center's lighted "CMS" letters. Callaway Middle can be reached at 706-845-2080.