“Every single day, I get to be the person I needed when I was in high school,” said Ann Boswell Carlson ’03. That deep understanding of the student experience is one of the invaluable advantages JA alumni bring to campus as teachers and coaches.
This year, 31 JA graduates serve on faculty and staff, drawing on their own memories and experiences to connect with today’s students in meaningful ways.
Visit this link to hear why JA faculty consistently regard the school as one of the best places to work—and how they find fulfillment in living purposeful lives.
Anna Beck ’05
What drew you back to JA? The thing that drew me back to JA most was the sense of family and closeness that you feel the second you walk onto the campus. I felt it as a student and I still feel it as a faculty member.
What is the best thing about working at JA? The best thing about working at JA is getting to be a part of the JA family again. I love being a part of all of the fun activities that go on at JA while also getting to shape the minds of my young students. JA is truly the best!
Catherine Burford ’17
What drew you back to JA? The family-friendly environment drew me back. After some time in the corporate world, I missed the warm, supportive atmosphere at JA. I realized I thrive in a workplace that feels like a genuine community, and I’m excited to be back.
What is the best thing about working at JA? Definitely the people! My role allows me to interact with everyone across campus, from preschoolers, teachers, and administrators to prospective families, alumni, and even grandparents. I see it all. What I love is seeing how everyone, regardless of their role, genuinely enjoys being part of the JA community. Getting that front-row seat to the JA community in action is the best part of my job.
Christian Burford ’16
What drew you back to JA? JA has always felt like one big family to me. I started here in K4 and continued until I graduated. When I had the chance to come back and work here, I seized the opportunity. As a student, I had teachers who were very caring and helpful, and now I want to do the same for my students.
What is the best thing about working at JA? The best part about working here is being able to freely pray and have Christian devotionals. I enjoy getting to know the students and talking with them about what’s going on in their lives. Working here is my way of ministering to them.
Ann Boswell Carlson ’03
What drew you back to JA? I never actually intended to teach full-time. In fact, I went to college to study music and voice. My mom, who was teaching at JA at the time, encouraged me to take some education classes in college as a backup plan, because she knew I had a natural gift for working with children. In true (and slightly angsty) teenage fashion, I resisted her completely rational advice and decided I would never teach. While in college, though, I started working for the wonderful Hope Burford in JA’s After School program. At first, it was just a way to earn a little extra money for nonessentials. However, by the time I graduated from Belhaven, I realized how much I loved working with children of all ages and how deeply that work filled a sense of meaning I hadn’t known was missing from my life.
What attributes of JA do you see as an employee that you did not recognize as a student? How deeply the teachers care, not just about academics, but about their students as people.
Any other thoughts or comments? No school is perfect, but JA comes pretty close!
Kimbrell Evans ’05
What drew you back to JA? I returned to JA 15 years after graduating. During that gap, I received my master’s from Ole Miss, got married, was a faculty instructor/provider at UMMC as a speech pathologist (10 years), and had my two daughters.
What you enjoy about JA: The best things about working at JA are teaching children during the most fundamental years of preschool, meeting some of my most very favorite people and getting to work with them every day, and being able to be at school with my girls.
Fun fact: I have spent more time on this campus (being a student from PK-12th and now on staff) than any one place in my entire life!
Kerri Hawkins ’89
What is the best thing about working at JA? The best thing about working at JA is the opportunity to work with so many amazing, kind people. Some of your best friends are your coworkers. Also, I love seeing and talking to the parents whose children I have taught or am teaching. These relationships are very rewarding.
Josh Hinkle ’15
What drew you back to JA? The people at JA and the people I get to work with. Working at JA is truly a blessing to be able to work with a great staff.
What is the best thing about working at JA? The people we get to work with and getting to serve students. I love getting to see students learn new things and lightbulbs go off in their head.
What attributes of JA do you see as an employee that you did not recognize as a student? How much time and work the faculty and staff put in. Not only time, but how much energy and passion our team puts into their job.
Krysten Jernigan ’06
What is the best thing about working at JA? My favorite part of JA is returning to where I loved being in school and sharing that experience everyday with my own children.
Suzanne Murray ’91
What attracted you to JA? What drew me back to JA is the love, security, and friendships I made as a student. I was in college and Lynett Robinson was the dean and reached out to see if I wanted to sub. I started subbing in the Preschool while still in college and KNEW I had to work at JA- in the Preschool! I came to work in the Preschool right after college. There was not an opening to teach so I subbed and did After School until a contracted position opened.
How do you feel you are contributing to the lives of students? The relationships with the “chirpy chicks” and their families and watching the progress they make are my favorite things about JA. Also, the lifetime friendships forged between children and adults alike! JA is a family. In 30 years, I’ve had great wins and great losses, and JA friends were here every step of the way!
Mary-Crosby Roberts ’06
What drew you back to JA? I had the opportunity to go out of state for a master’s program, as well as teaching and work experience out of the country… I then looked forward to coming back to Mississippi with new perspectives and knowledge, and giving back to the school that poured so much into me as a young person.
What makes you smile at JA? I SMILE SO BIG when I get to talk and work with such legends that taught me so much… Bronwyn Burford, Susan Elliott, Matt Morgan, Gloria Hirn… the list goes on! It is such a gift for a school to have faculty that have seen it through so many years, yet are still open to new ideas and how the school can best prepare young people for the world today. I am thrilled that my three children have the opportunity to go to Jackson Academy.
Madi McNair Scott ’14
What drew you back to JA? I started working at JA in the After School program as soon as I graduated high school. This opportunity cultivated my love for kids and helped me choose a career path in teaching. Since welcoming me as a first year teacher in 2018, JA has been a constant in my life for 25 years.
What do you love about JA? It is very special when you get to work alongside the teachers that made such an impact on your life.
Kathy Sheffield ’82
What drew you back to JA? I originally came back to JA so that my youngest daughter could play volleyball, but I very quickly realized that JA had that same sweet family feel that it had in 1982 when I graduated so I have stayed 13 years so far!
What attributes of JA do you see as an employee that you did not recognize as a student? There is SO much going on behind the scenes to make JA special, and I don’t think as a student I realized that. The attention to detail in curriculum and diversity of elective offerings and after school programs is impressive.
How do you feel you are contributing to the lives of students? I believe with all of my heart that it is no coincidence that God has me back at JA. I’m thankful for a school that values the social and emotional learning that I present to our Preschool and Lower School. I’m hoping that I can play even a small part in our mission to help equip our students for lives of purpose and significance.
Sarah Simmons ’16
What is the best thing about working at JA? My team. I love working with these people everyday.
What attributes of JA do you see as an employee that you did not recognize as a student? How much planning, effort, and care goes into running the school, supporting families, or creating opportunities for students.
How do you feel you are contributing to the lives of students? I hope to help students build confidence in the real world. I work with Student Ambassadors and strive to encourage them while providing real-life opportunities they can carry with them beyond JA.
Eddie Wettach ’03
What drew you back to JA? The family atmosphere of the school in which you feel loved, cared for, and appreciated.
What is the best thing about working at JA? Being surrounded by amazing people who share their God-given gifts every single day.
What attributes of JA do you see as an employee that you did not recognize as a student? How much our faculty and staff care about our students and pour into their lives as well as the countless examples of how our students impact each other.
