About me
Yashika Nicole Tippett-Eggleston, a native of St. Louis, MO, has been instrumental in founding two of the six public military academies within Chicago Public Schools (CPS). As the only African American female leader of CPS military academies, Yashika currently serves as the founding Principal of the Air Force Academy High School (AFAHS) in Chicago, IL (2009); the only public Air Force High School in the nation. As the Instructional Leader of AFAHS, CPT Tippett is credited with leading the AFAHS to obtaining a Level 1 status and introducing a new innovation in education for Chicago by housing the very first state of the art flight simulator lab in all of Chicago Public Schools. She is also a three-time recipient of the Chicago Public Schools’ Distinguished Principal’s Merit Award.
Yashika is a life-long learner and believes in the importance of earning an education. She prides herself in the fact that she has earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri-Columbia; an MBA from Webster University (St. Louis, MO); a Masters of Education Administration from Chicago State University (Chicago, IL); a Type 75 - Illinois Administrative Certification from Chicago State University (Chicago, IL), four leadership certificates from Harvard University Graduate School of Education (Cambridge, MA); and a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership from NOVA Southeastern University (Ft. Lauderdale, FL).
Yashika is also a retired Captain in the United States Army Reserve where she served twenty-two years in the Medical Corps. She has been honored with several military awards and certificates and is a Certified Master Fitness Trainer.
More important than her professional accomplishments, she is a licensed and ordained minister at West Point Missionary Baptist Church (Chicago, IL) where she serves faithfully as the Executive Pastor under the leadership of Rev. Dr. L B. Jakes. As the Executive Pastor she is charged with leading and guiding those individuals who are responsible for overseeing, implementing and making recommendations that are aimed at strengthening the ministry of the church. Rev. Tippett is also responsible for providing ongoing leadership development and professional learning to nearly 60 church leaders.
In addition to her service within West Point Missionary, Yashika served as the appointed Chief of Staff serving under the tenure of Vice President Rev. Dr. E. G. Shields, Jr. for the Progressive National Baptist Convention Midwest Region. She also successfully held the office of Vice President at Large for PNBC’s Young Adult Women for a 5 year tenure. She is a published/copyright play writer and director, the immediate past Vice President at Large of the Young Adult Women of the PNBC, Inc. where her focus in service to the organization were sharpened as a motivational speaker and advocate for children, young adults and especially young females.
In 2018, Yashika was blessed with the honor of serving as the University Of Missouri- Columbia (her alma mater) College of Education Commencement Speaker. Dr. Tippett has also served five times as the convocation speaker for the Michigan State University’s Chicago Cohort Teacher Preparation Intern Program. Additionally, Dr. Tippett was honored, by Chicago’s WTMX FM 101.9 Radio, as the very first recipient of Koz and Jen's Everyday Hero Award. She currently serves as a PLC Facilitator for the Chicago Public Education Fund (The Fund) PLC: E for Equity. She is an Advisor on the CPS Procurement Principal Advisory Committee and an active member of the CPAA. Dr. Tippett is a trusted and accountable CPS Principal Eligibility Assessor and CPS CLC Resident Principal interviewer.
Yashika is the very proud mother of Kennedi Rael Maryann Tippett Eggleston and Naomi Lola Ratcliff. She is the daughter of Mary Ann Tippett and the godmother of five young ladies and one son (Kyren Martin). She acts as the play mother to so many more not including the hundreds of students who have graduated under her leadership.
