Head of school Dr. Delvin Denkins doesn’t just run our school; he also runs annually at the world famous Penn Relays.
When walking into his office there isn’t much that might catch the eye. But tucked into a cabinet there is a pair of running shoes, black shoes that look worn and used, loved but not destroyed. These shoes help chronicle the story of Dr. Delvin Dinkins’ running career.
To find out more about his running career I asked Dr. Dinkins about how he got into running. “I was one of those kids who grew up used to racing kids around the block. And sometimes if I got like a new pair of sneakers, a new pair of kicks… the thought was that the shoes made you faster.”
Dr. Dinkins’ love of running soon progressed to running competitive meets for his middle school, high school, and college. After college he continued to run and coach for schools where he worked, and his children ran as well.
As he got older he began to shift from coaching and running for fun to running at the mecca of competitive running, The Penn Relays. He had participated in them throughout high school and college, but he wanted to conquer a new age group, the masters. The masters were a series of events for men and women ages over forty. Dr. Dinkins has continued to run them up until now, and it’s easy to say he will be lacing up his Asics running shoes and be back for another go in 2024.
When he isn’t running competitively, Dr. Dinkins can be seen running with SCH students. “Running with him is calm… He brings a good spirit to the team,” said SCH freshman Adrian Roscoe. “He brings a nice friendly vibe to you when running.”
While running is only a small part of Dr. Dinkins’ identity, it is a positive and constructive side of him that allows students to see him as not just an administrator, but as a friend and someone who is happy to interact with his students.
