Tiffanie Bazemore Jackson

I am the Lead Student Advocate for Great Oaks High School. I service the juniors and seniors and I help them find a pathway so that before graduation, they have an idea of what they want to do, and I help guide them to that goal.

I have been in education for over ten years. I started in daycare, so I’ve worked with newborns all the way up to the 12th grade. My first job was with Glasgow High School. I loved it because there I saw that I’m actually helping guide young adults into adulthood and the real world. After that, I tried middle school and elementary but that that wasn’t for me. Then I worked at another high school, where I was not only a teacher, but also a social worker and also a mentor. I felt that I wanted to be more of a guidance counselor type, so when I saw this job opening at the CEB, I thought it was perfect. This is me, and I love what I do. I can honestly say this is the happiest I’ve ever been in my work and field.

A typical day in the CEB looks very productive, and I would say moving.  I go out, I talk to the teachers, I e-mail them, I speak with the parents. Our offices are up here, but we spend a lot of time on the floor with the students. I have plans and a planner book with my students and a daily schedule, but it never goes as planned. No matter who I have in my book, I’m still meeting with more. We’re just making sure that the students remain on target. If they’re struggling, we’ll get them the help they need.

My top quality would be empathy. Understanding, not just sympathizing. I get it, so now that the student has that emotional peace, let me help you find something to help you push through. My second quality would be networking. For example, if one of my students wanted to go to cosmetology school instead of college, I make the calls that are necessary to set up meetings. I will go to Del-Tech and ask if I can bring a student in. Then, I will also bring that student to a cosmetology school and show them both worlds. Making those connections is something I love.

Recently, I was able to bring a really big partnership with a well-known Philadelphia rapper here to the building, which will start this summer. A few of my students met him, they were able to rap, he spoke to them one-on-one, and now we are going to work in partnership with them to provide music opportunities for students. He is going to have a group of about 10 create a song together, perform it in the studio, create a single, and shoot a music video. To solidify that deal and partnership was just the biggest win. 

Something a lot of my colleagues don't know about me is that I used to be in the music industry myself when I was younger. I was a dancer. And I still love dance, I just haven’t done it to that extent in a while.

I can honestly say my greatest accomplishment is being a mom. My son will be 21 next month, he has his own business and works full-time. Being able to see him mature and having people tell me I did a great job raising him, is my biggest accomplishment. My son is successful, he’s happy, he’s healthy, and he’s safe.

What makes me the happiest is my freedom. Being free and living how I choose, working here at the CEB where they allow us to be free in our creativity and in our job is great. What makes me unique is my freeness and that I am a communicator. There is nothing that we can’t talk out. In the end, if we agree to disagree, at least you communicated. I don't hold grudges. If we can’t talk it out, we hug and go about our business and every time I see you, it’s still gonna be love. 

Interview by Heather Jacquot and Anna Simacek, spring 2023