On the first Wednesday of every month, the front doors of Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy swing open.
Parents, caregivers, and community members come in, not for a presentation or a planned tour, but to see the school as it really is. They walk the halls during class, look into classrooms, and listen to students learning.
Even with over 650 students in the building, the hallways stay calm and focused on learning. “You can stand at one end of the hallway and look all the way down, and see no one,” says Dr. Damon Lewis, principal of Ponus Ridge.
Fourteen years ago, this scene would have been hard to imagine. Now, it’s a clear sign of a school and a leader who have worked hard to change the story.
A choice made in a dorm room
Long before national recognition and transformed hallways, Dr. Lewis was a college student at University of Connecticut with a very different plan. He entered undergraduate studies intending to pursue business, imagining a future that included a corner office and financial success.
Then the letters from his mother began to arrive.
While he was away at school, his mother started sending him newspaper clippings from the Connecticut Post. The stories were about young people from their Bridgeport neighborhood who were making poor choices. Some were people he knew, even friends, whose lives had taken a wrong turn.
“I remember sitting in my dorm room and calling my mother,” recounted Lewis. “I called her and said, ‘I’m going to change my major.’”
This wasn’t a slow, agonizing decision. It was sudden and deeply personal. “How selfish was it of me to chase that million-dollar dream,” he remembers thinking, “When there are people who could benefit from a young Black man in education, giving back to his community.” That day, he decided to switch his major to English and Sociology. “I gave up a million dollars before I ever even had it in my hand,” he says, “And I never looked back.”
Coming home to teach
After graduating from UConn, Lewis returned home to Bridgeport to begin his journey into teaching. While earning his master’s degree at University of Bridgeport, he went back to where it all started — interning at Harding High School, where he had attended as a teen.
While completing UB’s paid-internship program, he worked at Harding during the day and took Education courses at night, fully immersed in the daily realities of being a full-time working adult and student. This experience shaped him in ways that no textbook ever could. It was during his internship that a student pulled him aside and put words to what Lewis was feeling that day in his dorm room. “They told me I was a father figure,” he says. “That I was firm but fair. I had expectations and that I taught them self-respect.”
That moment made everything clear. “I wouldn’t have that experience in a corner office,” he says. “Not even close.” Lewis knew then he had made the right choice.
Learning to lead
Lewis started at Ponus Ridge Middle School in Norwalk, CT in 2010 as an assistant principal. When he became principal, he took his time and didn’t make big changes right away. He focused on listening first. “That’s why we have two ears, two eyes, and one mouth.”
He met with families and his staff. He observed classrooms, paying attention to culture and climate (understanding that they were not the same thing). Slowly and intentionally, he began to reshape both.
Central to that work was creating opportunity.
“I can’t guarantee success. But I can guarantee opportunity regardless of where you come from, who raised you, or the color of your skin.”
Transforming a school
Under Lewis’s leadership, Ponus Ridge became Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy, a shift that went far beyond just a name change. Today at Ponus Ridge, coding is taught to every sixth grader. Students explore robotics, immersive media, music technology, and advanced art. More than 20 after-school clubs keep the building buzzing long after dismissal.
“We’re preparing kids for jobs that don’t exist yet,” says Lewis. “They don’t know they’ll need these skills. But they will.”
Families started to notice. Enrollment grew quickly. Now, students from 10 out of 11 Norwalk elementary schools choose Ponus Ridge. Sixth and seventh grades are full. Fourteen years ago, it was the other way around. “The school has really been transformed.”
For Lewis, the real proof came a few years ago, not from applause, but from data.
The moment it clicked
State assessments showed strong performance across the board. More importantly, the School Accountability Index revealed no achievement gaps between multilingual learners, special education students, and their peers. “That’s when I knew,” Lewis says. “Maybe we’ve got something here.”
Chronic absenteeism fell sharply from almost 30 percent to less than eight percent. This change didn’t happen by chance. It took emails and letters home, visits to families, and honest talks about why being at school matters.
“School is too important,” said Lewis. “Way too important.”
Learning to lead together
At first, Lewis thought being a leader meant doing everything himself. Over time, his thinking changed.
“You can’t do it all. You’ll never sleep.”
Inspired by his studies and experience, Lewis embraced distributive leadership, trusting the team he built and focusing on the bigger picture.
“When you hire the right people, and you trust them, things take off,” shared Lewis.
A foundation for success
Lewis earned three degrees from University of Bridgeport: a master’s in Education, a Sixth-Year Certificate, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership. “Sixty percent of my education happened right there on Park Avenue,” he says. “I owe a lot to UB.”
His preparation was practical, rigorous, and deeply connected to the realities of schools. Lewis still draws on his UB education every day.
In early 2025, Lewis was named Connecticut’s Middle School Principal of the Year and National Middle School Principal of the Year from the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Still, he deflects that spotlight.
“I won the award. But it’s always a ‘we’ award.”
Open door policy
On Walk-Through Wednesdays, Dr. Lewis greets families at the door and invites them to see what Ponus Ridge is like now. “No script,” he says. “Just come in.” This open invitation comes from years of hard work and confidence. The hallways are quiet, the students are engaged, and the school’s reputation has changed.
Lewis keeps that tradition alive by welcoming UB interns to Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy. He gives future teachers the same real-world experience that shaped his own career. For him, mentoring new educators is an important responsibility.
UB is proud to honor Dr. Damon Lewis and celebrate his inspiring journey in educational leadership.
Learn more about the hybrid Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership at University of Bridgeport.
With over 14 years of experience in writing and communications, Abby Levandoski is a seasoned storyteller specializing in highlighting stories that build community. As the assistant director of communications and content strategy for University of Bridgeport, Abby produces compelling narratives highlighting academic programs, research initiatives, and student success. Her work has earned positive media coverage across print, digital, and TV platforms. Abby holds a master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in political science, bringing a strategic and creative approach to her role in higher education marketing and communications.