ACCESS Counselor of the Year--Paulette Gibbs

"I became a teacher because I love working with students and serving others. I feel that my teachers deeply affected my life, and I want to know I have helped others in the same way. I want to think I am helping the world, even if it is only one student at a time."--Ms. Paulette Gibbs

Counselor Wears Many Hats

As Ms. Paulette Gibbs completes her 34th year in public education at Ranburne High School, she is no stranger to juggling many roles and responsibilities. As the counselor for RHS, also her Alma Mater, Ms. Gibbs has served this small, rural school as a teacher, cheerleading sponsor, test coordinator, Beta Club sponsor, and much more. So, when the ACCESS facilitator had to take a leave of absence for the first semester due to a family emergency, Ms. Gibbs naturally and graciously put on her ACCESS cap and went to work. In addition to fulfilling all of her typical counseling responsibilities, Ms. Gibbs facilitated an entire ACCESS class of 9th graders who were taking Spanish I. For months, Ms. Gibbs supervised and assisted the students in the class and consistently communicated with their ACCESS teacher, Ms. Lesa Clough. She wore the ACCESS hat with pride and helped to ensure that the freshmen at Ranburne were successful in their first ACCESS class.
Ms. Clough wrote, "[Paulette] kept the [students] accountable and on task. She really went above and beyond. She reached out to me frequently, a lot of times in her off hours."

Paulette Gibbs...Admired, Respected, and Loved

Numerous recommendation letters accompanied Ms. Gibbs' nomination for the ACCESS Counselor of the Year Award. English Teacher, Tephanie Merrill, wrote the following:

"Paulette is a hardworking, dedicated, and compassionate educator. She tirelessly gives of her time helping our students prepare for college and careers. She provides a wealth of knowledge to them so that they are well prepared for life outside of high school. Paulette spends countless hours, outside of the typical school day, meeting the needs of her students. As an important leader within our school, she is someone that all teachers and administrators look to for advice and direction. Paulette is our organizer, our planner, and our advisor. She is simply the glue that holds our school together. Paulette is a gem to Ranburne High School."

Another colleague, Dionne Barnwell, stated that Ms. Gibbs often shows her love for the school and community through her words and actions. "I do not know anyone else who has as generous a heart for our students as Paulette. Again and again I have seen her go above and beyond to make certain that our students have the support they need to accomplish their goals," Ms. Barnwell wrote.

Regardless of which educational delivery model is chosen, the dedication for students is obvious. Ms. Gibbs will teach, counsel, sponsor, and facilitate students to ensure that they are successful. Every duty she has, every hat she wears, she does so with grace and a students-first mentality. It is for these reasons and more that Ms. Paulette Gibbs was selected as the 2020 ACCESS Counselor of the Year.

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