Ms. Jenny

Ms. Jenny has been teaching for four years at Jimmy Carter Middle School. She also serves as the summer school principal. I wanted to feature her in the Greater Communities part of our show because I think we could use some more Ms. Jennys in this world. 

Ms. Jenny feels that her students are her family. And more importantly than that, she makes her students feel like they are part of her family. She started hosting a Thanksgiving dinner to help students who need one. Her table in her home classroom is set up longways for a reason: they eat as a family. She feeds the entire staff, janitors, counselors, as well as her current and past students. We're talking four turkeys, sides, drinks, the works. 

She told me "teachers come in and try to show their power with their MBAs, but if I make myself the 'power', I won't connect with the kids." During my visit with her, multiple students would pop in and out of her classroom, begging if they could stay in her room for the next period. She would then refute in a very stern, but friendly tone, "Get to your next class!" 

For the last three years at Jimmy Carter she's given her own money to host this Thanksgiving dinner (spending up to $1000). My friend, Major General Aguilar, the Adjutant General for the NM National Guard, is the one who brought her to my attention. He met her through a summer project that the Guard and the school partnered on; he came to me wanting to find a way to make sure she wouldn't have to use her own funds for the kids this year. I reached out to my friends at Albertsons Market, and once they heard about Ms. Jenny, they donated everything she needed this year for their Thanksgiving dinner! 

The best part -- Ms. Jenny is technically only a substitute teacher, but she's become a full-time substitute at Jimmy Carter because they love her so much. No matter what you do in life, do it with greatness. Be a Ms. Jenny!