Caine DeVivi, assistant principal of Tunstall High School, has been working in education for 29 years. Mr. DeVivi has been a student of Tunstall, a teacher for Tunstall, and an assistant principal for Chatham High School before coming into his current position.

Mr. DeVivi moved to Tunstall the summer before his junior year from Wisconsin and was quick to get involved in school sports. He played football, baseball, and wrestling. “I think athletics made my transition easier,” DeVivi said. His experience with school sports ultimately led to his decision to become a teacher; his coaches heavily influenced him and made him want to become a similar influence for others and “make a difference in young people’s lives.” After Tunstall, Mr. DeVivi attended Campbell on a wrestling scholarship and then transferred to Longwood after an injury.

After his schooling, Mr. DeVivi started teaching and coaching for Tunstall. He taught driver’s ed, special education, family life education, physical education, and he coached softball and wrestling. He was able to teach and coach both his son and daughter when they attended Tunstall. 

DeVivi stated that he missed coaching and decided to look for more of a leadership role within Pittsylvania County Schools. A year ago, he got a position to be an assistant principal for Chatham High School, but when a role opened up at Tunstall High for an assistant principal, DeVivi felt motivated by his peers and memories to come back. “There is something to be said about coming back home.” 

After his experiences in education and life, DeVivi recognizes that  “one of the biggest issues for young people today is cell phones.” He also stated that schools could benefit from more local funding to provide teacher raises, better grounds, and better technology. Overall, DeVivi believes, “The most important thing for a school to do is prepare students for the future, and we’re doing a good job.”