LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Kesia Pope was nominated by member of the community, Bette Blanding. This is the second year Ms. Pope has been nominated for LifeChanger of the Year. She was previously nominated in 2017-18. 

Ms. Pope's talent, charisma, and motivational skills make her a model of excellence in her community. She has distinguished herself as a leader of young people since the days of her own youth. Through NAACP talent competitions, she has led youth associates of the organization to state and national distinction. These young people gain much of their zeal from Ms. Pope's demonstration of her own poetic talent. In her poetry, she addresses adolescent issues through word patterns and rhythms familiar to students. While she might have pursued a career in entertainment, she chose to devote her time and knowledge to the development of young people.

"Kesia is an award-winning educator, currently a principal with commendable visibility and interaction among students and faculty," Blanding said. "Therefore, I was not surprised to see her, along with her students, featured on the local television news this evening. During her first year in the position of principal, Kesia has helped motivate these students, many of whom had been under-achievers, to higher academic performance."