Women to Watch Awards Finalists – Education
Meet the 2024 finalists
April Jordan
Assistant Principal, Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington
Describe your role and work that you do.
“In a public charter school, assistant principals can wear many hats. At my current school, I evaluate all teachers with fidelity and provide teachers with the necessary feedback and tools to write standard-aligned lesson plans that engage all students. I coach teachers, assist with hiring, help with testing, monitor student discipline, and enforce our school policies. I aid in positive school culture and staff morale by keeping traditions alive at GLOW.”
What is one thing you’d like everyone to learn?
“I want everyone to learn that it costs nothing to be kind. So many people are going through different situations because of choices they made and because of choices that were made for them.”
What’s a future goal?
“My long-term goal is to establish or help establish a mentor program for young men and women, ages twelve to twenty.
The program would offer tutoring for school work, ACT, and SAT prep classes, job skills, information on saving money, creating generational wealth, and social and emotional skills. Participants in the program would be required to complete volunteer hours, maintain a B average, and have no serious discipline issues in school.”
Kimberly Lebby
Executive Director, DREAMS Center for Arts Education
Describe your role and work that you do.
“As the driving force behind DREAMS, the executive director wears many hats and is ultimately responsible for ensuring that DREAMS stays true to its mission of empowering youth through arts education.
This is achieved by overseeing delivery of multi-disciplinary arts programming, ensuring the organization’s financial health and transparency, working collaboratively with the board to develop strategic plans for the future, and cultivating strong relationships with community partners to expand DREAMS’ reach and impact.”
What makes you passionate about education?
“Witnessing the transformative power of arts education. Through the arts, youth can learn oral and written communication, critical thinking, teamwork and collaboration, self-efficacy, etc. These essential skills serve as catalysts that propel youth to achieve their goals.”
What is the most important thing you have learned?
“The power of adaptability. My path from bench scientist to professor, college administrator, and now leading DREAMS may seem like a winding road, but each step honed my ability to embrace change and learn new skill sets. This adaptability has allowed me to translate my scientific background into leading an arts education organization, finding common ground in fostering creativity and critical thinking all while championing a different kind of education.”
Kemeka Sidbury
Academic & Learning Coordinator, D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy
Describe your role and work that you do.
“I work as the academic and learning coordinator at D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy, UNCW’s Lab School, and I am committed to various organizations that focus on educational empowerment initiatives for the community.
All of my educational roles require that I work with stakeholders to provide every learner, children and adults, with valuable educational experiences and opportunities.”
What makes you passionate about education?
“Education is the foundation to all of life’s circumstances. Education transforms lives. It is the inquiry to our curiosity. Education brings joy to those who unearth it. Education provides visions even when one cannot see. An equitable education is learning without limitations. Whether formally or informally, education always exposes the genius in all of us!”
What is one thing you’d like everyone to learn?
“Everyone has the gift of genius, and it is our job as a community to unearth it. This does take hard work, but when we – educators, parents, students, and community members – work as a collective we build sustainable communities.”
Ashley Wells
Associate School Director, UNCW School of Health and Applied Human Sciences
Describe your role and work that you do.
“I have the amazing opportunity to work with students, faculty, staff, and community partners in my role as associate school director for quality assurance. I oversee data collection projects that gather evidence on our effectiveness and impact in the school, as well as engage in program planning and outreach with our community.”
What makes you passionate about education?
“I live for the ‘a-ha’ moments in the classroom when a student suddenly gains a new perspective on a topic. I love to see the amazement in K-12 students’ eyes when they take a field trip to our labs and see what they can be doing as a student in the future. I am passionate about providing opportunities for students to develop and reach their goals and hearing post-graduation that they are living their dreams!”
What is one thing you’d like everyone to learn?
“I would like everyone to learn about a culture that is different from theirs. From the language to the religion to the food to the social norms. It is so important to understand that not everyone is like you and appreciating diversity is key to being in relation to other humans.”
Amanda Wolf
Founder & Educator, Peace Rose Montessori School
Describe your role and work that you do.
“I oversee operations at Peace Rose Montessori alongside two other directors, interacting and supporting teachers, parents, students, and the business of running a school. I am fulfilled being in the classroom and delegate a lot of my administrative tasks. I teach 4th-6th grade in upper elementary and support the secondary program 7th-9th grade. We are a community school, and I am constantly looking through the lens of community development within Peace Rose and the surrounding area.”
What’s a future goal?
“A short-term goal is to further develop the Montessori Model United Nations program with the secondary students. This is an exciting new venture, and we are on year two with this organization! A long-term goal is to assess if we will be adding a high school and obtaining another building with more land and property in the downtown area.”
What is the most important thing you have learned?
“As a business owner and educator, I have learned that communication is so important to relationships, curriculum development, supporting families, and business operations. Communication that is clear, direct, kind, and collaborative is a necessary asset to any business and school culture.”
To view the Women to Watch Awards Finalists main page, click here.
To view more of photographer Madeline Gray’s work, go to madelinegrayphoto.com.
To view more of photographer Summer Lambert’s work, go to summerlambertphoto.com.
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