Get to Know HFC: Dr. Kyron Harvell has the best of both worlds
Working in P-12 education and higher education gives Dr. Kyron Harvell the best of both worlds.
Harvell is a psychology instructor at HFC, and he is the principal of Romulus High School.
"I definitely feel that I’m getting the best of both worlds. I am able to build upon my leadership skills at both levels, while assisting my high school students with understanding all of the nuances of college life. I feel well rounded as an educator, having served as principal at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels, as well as an instructor in higher education," said Kyron. "I love my role as the principal in Romulus, but teaching provides a great deal of autonomy. I love to see students make connections between coursework and real-world experiences."
Brotherly love
The youngest of two sons, Kyron’s older brother is HFC sociology instructor Dr. Kalvin DaRonne Harvell, whom he calls "Doc." Kalvin inspired Kyron to teach at HFC.
"Doc been teaching here since 1999. He absolutely loves the College, faculty, and students. Teaching at HFC is his dream job. HFC comes up in all of our conversations, and I knew that this was a place I wanted to be," said Kyron. "Doc has been the most integral part of my career. Our mother always told me to just do whatever he does, so I have followed his path in terms of when to get a house, make financial investments, get married, become an educator, etc. He has been the blueprint and was my first mentor."
In turn, Kalvin called his younger brother his hero. He remembered how Kyron was invaluable when organizing the inaugural Dr. Henry J. Bowers Focus Group conference in 2019.
"It takes commitment to show up on campus at 4:00 a.m. on a Saturday to help set up the breakfast buffet and other things to ensure a successful conference, then I get all the credit. He has volunteered with the Bowers Focus Group more times than I can count," said Kalvin.
Kalvin credited the completion of his doctoral program to Kyron.
"Completing a doctoral program is difficult," said Kalvin. "I quit my program 3,287 times. Dr. Harvell convinced me to go back 3,288 times. More than a great educator, he is a great son, husband, uncle, and brother. He demonstrates the ethic of care and excellence in all aspects of his life. My brother is the better of the two of us. I strive to be like him. To paraphrase the pragmatic philosopher Bobby Womack: 'No matter how high I get, I will still be looking up to him!'"
His mother was very influential in his educational journey
A native of Flint, Kyron lives in Ann Arbor with Dionna, his wife of 23 years. Like his older brother, Kyron is a graduate of Flint Southwestern Academy. A 3-time alumnus of Michigan State University, Kyron earned the following from MSU:
- His bachelor’s degree in psychology
- His master’s degree in counseling
- His doctoral degree in educational administration
Earning a doctorate was a personal milestone for Kyron. His late mother impressed upon him and Kalvin the importance of education and wanted both of her sons to earn their doctorates.
"It feels amazing to finally be referred to as 'Dr. Harvell,'" Kyron said after earning his doctorate in 2024.
He also earned his K-12 administrator licensure from Eastern Michigan University and his central office certification from the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals. Recently, Kyron was accepted in the Michigan Leadership Institute Superintendent Professional Preparation Series or “SUPES Academy.”
Distinguished career in education
Kyron has been in the education field since 2004 and has been an administrator since 2009. His career began at MSU as a counseling supervisor, where he oversaw graduate counseling students during their training.
"My mother was a social worker," said Kyron. "I was always impressed with how she was able to help people with their problems and assist them in achieving their goals. I wanted to follow in her footsteps."
For 18 years, he worked in the Lansing School District, where he served as the principal for Vivian Riddle Elementary School and Averill Elementary School. He also taught at Siena Heights University.
For three years, Kyron was the principal of Clague Middle School in the Ann Arbor Public Schools before transitioning to Romulus in 2025. He joined the HFC faculty in 2025 as well.
"The School of Health, Education, and Human Services (HHS) and the Pre-Education program are proud to welcome Dr. Kyron Harvell to the HFC faculty," said HFC Director of Health, Education, and Human Services Dr. Cristina Bailey. "He brings extensive credentials with multiple administrative certifications across various areas of education. His expertise in teaching and educational leadership are invaluable assets for HFC students preparing to enter the teaching profession."
His vision for Romulus High
Kyron spoke about why he became an educator.
"I graduated from high school with a 3.5 GPA and when I went to MSU, I realized that Flint Community Schools had not prepared me for the next level," he recalled. "I ran into one of my high school principals during winter break and shared with him how much I was struggling. His response was, 'Kyron, we weren’t preparing you to go to a big school like MSU. We figured you would work in one of the trades [locally].' I recognized that day that I needed to create change at the macro level for our students."
This conversation cemented his path to becoming a principal.
"It was important for me to be able to generate change at the macro level and for students to see that leadership is a viable option for them," said Kyron. "The principal role allows me to work collaboratively with all key stakeholders to implement change. In the classroom, I may only have access to my students and the parents of my students. Additionally, I love being the decision maker and having a seat at the table to make the needed changes to ensure that my students have equitable access to resources and opportunities."
Romulus reminds Kyron of Flint Southwestern.
"I love the students, the community, and there is so much room for growth," he said. "I like going into settings and implementing change rather than going into a system that is already running smoothly. We are on the priority list, and I enjoy the challenge of working collaboratively to ensure that we are off that list by next year!"
Kyron continued: "My vision for Romulus is that we continue to operate under our commitment, asserting that every student is entitled to an equitable, world-class, high-quality education by eliminating structural barriers, accelerating student outcomes, and closing opportunity gaps."
HFC Pre-Education Director Dr. Carolyn Casale has formed a partnership between HFC and Romulus, which has a strong teacher cadet program, thanks to working closely with Kyron.
"When we hired Dr. Harvell, I knew from the interview that he has a great deal of energy and passion for teaching," said Casale. "His degrees and experiences make him an ideal fit because he can teach five of the six pre-education courses. This passion for teaching was reinforced when I met his high school students, who gushed with enthusiasm about the changes he was making as principal."
Creating positive change in the lives of others
Even though he knows that won’t be able to reach every student, that won’t stop Kyron from trying.
"The best part of my job is knowing that each day I am doing something meaningful to create positive change in the lives of others. I find worth in everything that I do," he said.
He’s looking forward to teaching at the College for years to come.
"I love working at smaller institutions where you can really engage with the students, faculty, and community. I feel that we can make those personal connections and the students feel like they are valued and appreciated and not just a number," explained Kyron. "The best part for me teaching at HFC is working with the students and watching them grow and develop. I love running into previous students and hearing about where they are working now, how I assisted them in their learning, and watching their journey."