“Jennifer Smith’s Story
Jennifer Smith always knew she wanted to work with children.
In fact, Jennifer moved from Sebastian, Florida to Jacksonville to attend the University of North Florida (UNF) specifically to major in education. After graduation, Jennifer learned that there was not only a teacher shortage, but also incentives (such as student loan forgiveness) for teachers willing to work in inner city schools. “I always knew I wanted to work inner city to start,” Jennifer said, “but I honestly think anybody going into education should at least do a few years inner city.” She stayed in Jacksonville and started her teaching career at R.L. Brown Elementary. She also taught at Twin Lakes Academy Elementary, and spent her last year as a Reading Interventionist at Martin Luther King FAME Academy. Jennifer spent a total of 15 years in the classroom, teaching Language Arts and Social Studies to 3rd and 4th graders.