Mrs. Allen is new to Jacksonville City Schools this year.  Her responsibilities at Jacksonville High School include in-school suspension (ISS) monitor, after-school detention monitor, and Golden Eagle Media sponsor.  Other aspects of Mrs. Allen’s job are tracking student attendance and overseeing the school’s monthly Soaring Eagle initiative.

She is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and has resided in Calhoun County for over thirteen years.  She is happily married with three children.  The oldest child graduated from Jacksonville High School in 2015.  The two younger children attend Kitty Stone Elementary School.  She says that she and her husband have been very adamant about their children attending Jacksonville City Schools because of the high standard of excellence that the students are held to.

When asked what she loves most about her position at the high school, she replied that it is too hard to narrow it down to just one thing.  She enjoys having the opportunity to mentor and be a positive influence to students, and always has. With nearly thirteen years of experience working with children, she states, “Building relationships is so important.  You never know how you can affect a child’s life just by sharing your experiences with them, imparting wisdom to them, showing them that you care about them and making sure they know that they are held to very high expectations.”

Mrs. Allen shares how often former ISS students will go out of their way to speak to her in the hallways or stop by her classroom room multiple times during a day just to speak or check on her. She adds that it is a very rewarding feeling to have that type of impact, especially since she is very strict in ISS.  When asked why she feels it is necessary to be strict in ISS or ASD, she notes that children feel safer and more secure when they are given boundaries and that they are more trusting of adults who set boundaries.  She adds that all adults share the responsibility of preparing students for life in the “real” world.

Golden Eagle Media is another exciting component of her job.  She mentions that working with the students in Golden Eagle Media (GEM) is a very enjoyable experience and that she had no idea how many opportunities would become available to GEM this school year.  She admits that the students have been extremely busy and that things have not slowed down yet.  Trying to manage the group and make sure that obligations are fulfilled and deadlines are met can be challenging at times, but the group always manages to pull together and get the job(s) done.

Finally, Mrs. Allen was asked what she likes to do in her spare time to relax and unwind from a busy day or week at the high school.  She replied that she loves to play word games on her phone, watch Netflix with her family, eat lots of carbs, sing and last but not least, take a good nap!  

We would like to thank Mrs. Allen for all of her hard work and for taking the time to tell us a little bit about herself.  We wish her the best in all future endeavors.

Written by Elaine Hudgins

Edited by Keshawanna Allen

Golden Eagle Media

Jacksonville High School