William Dent received his Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from East Carolina University.  After working for the Pitt County Sheriff's Department for two years, he returned to ECU and received a Bachelor's degree in Middle Grades Education with a concentration in Mathematics.  After being an 8th grade and 7th grade math teacher at E.B. Aycock Middle School for 10 years, Dent spent two years in the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program and received his Master's degree in school administration from ECU upon completion of the program.  Prior to being named the assistant principal at W.H. Robinson, Dent served as the assistant principal at Bethel School and also at Stokes School in Pitt County.