LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Jackielyn Swallia was nominated anonymously.

In Ms. Swallia's fifth-grade classroom, she builds a positive environment through focus, encouragement, and knowing that growth takes practice. She sets clear expectations from the start and creates routines that help students feel safe, respected, and ready to aim high. She incorporates social-emotional learning, teamwork, and goal-setting to help students develop confidence and responsibility. She reinforces the idea that mistakes are part of learning and effort matters more than perfection. She also makes space for student voice, celebrates progress, and creates a classroom that reflects their work, ideas, and identities.