Isaiah Jobe-Winn Speaks at Convocation for SCCPSS

Isaiah Jobe-Winn speaks at Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools’ Convocation 5,600 at the EnMarket Arena

On July 28th, 2022, just a few weeks after graduating from Alfred Ely Beach High School, I had the opportunity to speak at the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System’s Convocation 2022 at the EnMarket Arena. More than 5,600 employees from across the district came together to kick off a new school year, and somehow, before I had even started my first semester of college, I found myself standing in front of all of them.

My role that morning was to bring greetings, help set the tone for the year ahead, and introduce our former Superintendent of Schools, Dr. M. Ann Levett. The theme for the year was #BecauseofYOU, which made the opportunity particularly meaningful because I was standing in a room filled with many of the people who had shaped my experience as a student in SCCPSS.

I spent a good portion of my K-12 journey in the district, so I knew firsthand that the people who make a difference in a student’s life extend far beyond the classroom. Teachers certainly played an important role in my journey, but so did principals, counselors, secretaries, bus drivers, custodians, school nutrition staff, district employees, and so many others. Some of their impact came through major opportunities, while other moments were as simple as a conversation, a word of encouragement, or someone taking the time to make sure I knew they believed in me.

That was what #BecauseofYOU meant to me. I had recently crossed the stage at Beach High School and was preparing to begin college, but I knew that I had not reached that point on my own. There were countless people throughout my years in SCCPSS who had poured into me, challenged me, opened doors for me, and helped me see possibilities for myself that I did not always know existed.

Having the opportunity to introduce Dr. Levett made the moment even more personal. Our mentor-mentee relationship began when I was still in high school and decided to write her a letter introducing myself and sharing some of my goals. She responded, and what started with that letter grew into a mentorship that would have a lasting impact on my life. Standing on that stage and introducing the Superintendent who had taken the time to invest in me as a student was one of those moments that I probably did not fully appreciate until later.

Looking back now, Convocation 2022 represents an interesting point in my journey. I was no longer an SCCPSS student, but I had not yet started college or formally entered the profession. I knew that I wanted my future to involve education, but I could not have known exactly what the next several years would bring or that my path would eventually lead me back to SCCPSS in a professional capacity.

What I did know was that my own experience was evidence of what can happen when people in public education take the time to invest in young people. Speaking to more than 5,600 employees was certainly an opportunity I will always remember, but what stays with me most is what that room represented. Each person there had the ability, through their own role, to become part of a student’s story in ways they might never fully realize.

Years later, #BecauseofYOU still describes my journey pretty well. Much of what I have been able to do and much of who I have become can be traced back to educators and other people throughout SCCPSS who took the time to pour into me. Having the opportunity to stand before them at Convocation and say thank you remains one of the most meaningful ways I could have closed one chapter of my life and prepared to begin the next.

PICTURES: https://sccpss.smugmug.com/2022-Convocation-5600-July-28-2022