9.25.23

Ripple Effects

Alicia Thompson ’15 is an educational force to be reckoned with. A Wichita native, she has posted a most impressive 31-year career as a grade school teacher, director of professional development, assistant superintendent of elementary schools and, most recently, as the first Black woman to serve as superintendent of Wichita Public Schools (WPS), the largest district in Kansas.

Dr. Thompson – who holds a doctorate of educational leadership from Wichita State, a master’s degree from Newman University, and a bachelor’s degree from Langston University – retired earlier this year, but the positive effects from the initiatives she set in motion as an educator and administrator only continue to gain momentum and reach.

As superintendent, a role she held for six years (2017-2023), Thompson developed the Every Student Future Ready strategic plan. The plan lays out key goals for the district, which serves nearly 50,000 students across 90 campuses with 9,000 employees and a $900,000 budget. Despite those big numbers, Thompson’s career focus has always been on the individual.

“I loved working with kids and wanted to make a difference,” she says about her decision to become an educator. “My passion has been to grow and help others. I had so many mentors and teachers steer me into education, so — that’s how I got here.”

A graduate of Heights High School, Thompson began teaching 3^rd grade at Ingalls Elementary School in 1992, going on to serve as assistant principal and then principal at a number of elementary schools. She became assistant superintendent of elementary schools in 2005, serving in that position until taking up the duties of superintendent.

She says she counts becoming the first woman and the first person of color in WPS history to serve as superintendent as among the most satisfying of her many career achievements. “I felt like I was an example to women — and especially to little girls of color — that you can do and become anything you want to become.”

Higher education has been one of the key elements in powering her own success in becoming who she wanted to be. As a doctoral student at Wichita State, she was especially impressed and inspired by the diversity on campus. “Being exposed to the many different nationalities, cultures and thought opened my eyes to so many new things,” she says. “There are so many languages spoken by the students and staff, and it was awesome to get to meet and experience so many wonderful people. What I learned is that when you have so many diverse thoughts and experiences, the learning is much richer. It prepares you better for the world of work — and play!”

Now that she’s retired, Thompson has more time in her schedule to play. For starters, she and her husband, Reggie, who are the proud parents of two daughters, will continue to cheer for the Shockers on the basketball court. They’ll also travel, and not only to Shocker games. “I’ve created a bucket list of all the places I want to go,” she says. “I want to touch every state in the United States. I want to go to Africa, Australia and Europe — I want to travel the world with my husband. My dream trip is to go to the Holy Land.”

She’s also looking forward to having the time to read more autobiographies of famous women, something she finds enjoyable and inspiring. And, of course, there’ll be more time for adding to her collection of elephants. “You know,” she says with a chuckle, “one day I want to ride an elephant in Africa.”

For all of her uniquely distinctive achievements, Dr. Alicia Thompson is the 2023 Alumni Achievement Award honoree. “Receiving this award is humbling,” she says. “It makes me want to keep pushing forward touching the lives of individuals and working to better our community in which we live, play and work.”

The 2023 Alumni Award recipients will each be recognized at the first annual Heritage Gala on Tuesday, November 7. Learn more about this event and buy your tickets to celebrate the changemakers at Wichita State.