Ask four school directors what leadership means in 2025, and you won't get the same answer twice. But spend time in their schools, watch how they move through hallways, listen to how they talk about students, notice what they celebrate and you'll start to see something deeper than words can capture.
Nate Reaven thinks about home. Travonda Favorite thinks about journeys. Lauren Reibstein thinks about showing up. Martin Pearson thinks about walking alongside people. Together, they're leading four DSST high schools through one of the most complex moments in education, and they're doing so in ways as distinct as the communities they serve.
Leading in Denver
Nate Reaven didn't just choose Denver; Denver chose him first. Born and raised here, he went to CU Boulder for undergrad, then Teachers College at Columbia for his master's, but he came back. For 15 years now, he's been at DSST, moving through roles like an English teacher trying on different perspectives: teacher, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Dean of Students, Associate School Director, Principal. He helped found both DSST: Conservatory Green Middle School and the high school where he now serves as School Director.
There's something about leading in the place you're from. You know the restaurants, sure, but you also know the neighborhoods, the stories, the stakes.
"As someone who was born and raised in Denver, supporting in Denver education hits close to home," Reaven said. "Right now, the world can often appear in disarray. A school that is safe, joyful, and where students are able to learn is increasingly rare. To have one of them in Denver is a great gift."
For Nate, leadership means honoring that gift. It means creating space for students to reach their full potential and supporting teachers in making it happen. It means building something that lasts in the city that made you.
"It's impossible to work alongside Nate and not feel his joy and energy for the work," said Jenna Kalin, Managing Director. "He leads with love, joy, and a commitment to sustaining the work over time."
Leadership as evolution
Travonda Favorite, everyone calls her Fav, has been a Bulldog since 2018, when she helped found what was then DSST: Noel Campus, now DSST: Elevate Northeast Middle School. She was the Founding School Director of DSST: Elevate Northeast High School, and is now serving as a School Director on Special Assignment. If you ask her about leadership, she'll tell you it's never static.
"I see my position as a leader as an opportunity to continue to cultivate my leadership story and develop others, while also learning from those around me," Fav said. "Leadership is a journey that continues to evolve as the world around us does."
That word, journey, matters. It suggests movement, growth, the understanding that where you are isn't where you'll always be.
"My job is bigger than me," she said. "Every decision has the best interest of students and staff at the forefront."
Kalin sees that commitment up close. "Fav leads with both strategic vision and deep care for her community. She's someone who sees leadership as service, and her commitment to developing others is evident in everything she does."
Showing up
Lauren Reibstein, a.k.a. Reibs, is starting her tenth year with DSST. She spent five years at DSST: College View as a Math Teacher and Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and she's now in her fifth year at DSST: Montview High School as School Director.
"I work hard for the MTV community. Our staff and students every day show up and DYB, and so I am responsible for doing the same," Reibs said. "There is a lot out of our control," she said. "Our job is to show up and do the best that we can within the parameters that we have."
It sounds simple, but it's not. Showing up means being present when it's hard, when you're tired, when the parameters feel impossible.
Kalin describes Reibs as someone who "brings an incredible balance of warmth and clarity to her leadership. She's deeply invested in her community and creates the kind of environment where both students and staff can thrive."
Walking together
Martin Pearson was born in Germany to a German mother and a father who proudly served in the U.S. Army for 31 years. Growing up in a military family shaped his appreciation for discipline, service, and resilience. With 29 years in education and over two decades in school leadership, he now leads DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School with a clarity that cuts through the noise. For him, leadership is about trust built through action, not words.
"Being a leader in education today means showing up every day with purpose, consistency, and heart," Pearson said. "It's about building trust through my actions and keeping a laser-like focus on student achievement."
But achievement isn't an abstraction for Pearson. It's about people, the educators he serves beside and the students sitting in classrooms who are tomorrow's leaders. "I believe leadership is about developing people, both the incredible educators I serve beside and the future leaders sitting in our classrooms."
And Kalin agrees. “Martin leads with authenticity and a deep commitment to his students and staff,” she said. “He's the kind of leader who makes people feel seen and supported, and his focus on student achievement is unwavering."
What connects them
Four leaders. Four schools. Four completely different ways of thinking about what it means to lead in education right now.
Nate brings his Denver roots and 15 years of DSST experience to Conservatory Green, building something that will outlast him. Fav sees leadership as an evolving journey at Elevate Northeast, developing others while learning herself. Reibs shows up every single day on MTV with warmth and clarity, setting the stage for wonder. Martin walks alongside the Raptors at Green Valley Ranch, building trust through consistent action and creating access to worlds students didn't know existed.
They don't lead the same way. They don't talk about leadership the same way. But they're all doing something essential: they're creating schools where students can become the best versions of themselves, where teachers can do work that matters, and where communities can thrive.
At Conservatory Green, Elevate Northeast, Montview, and Green Valley Ranch, that's exactly what's happening. And it's worth celebrating.