LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Andre Jones was nominated by a former student who wishes to remain anonymous.  

"I appreciate the opportunity to nominate someone who is now an assistant principal, who was also at one point a classroom teacher, and who has done right by so many students," explains the nominator. "Students were and are his passion. To this day, he believes in a person keeping their word, showing you that his actions speak louder than his words, and that students are the main focus in academics/education at every age.

"When I first met him, I was a soon-to-be middle schooler going into the 6th grade," said the nominator. "His first impression to me as a 5th grader was that this man looks mean, scary, and unapproachable. Right from the beginning, he taught me never to judge a book by its cover. Yes, first impressions are lasting impressions, and in this case, that was true and is still true today. My first impression of him definitely left a lasting impression."

Education was and is very important to Mr. Jones. Learning by doing was and is his methodology. Treating the whole child, not just the academic part, was and is his vision and goal. He believes that if you are hungry, your basic needs are not being met, so how can you learn? He will go to his cabinet and pull out a nutritious snack for you to eat that will sustain you. If you are tired, your basic needs aren't being met, so how can you focus on learning? So he requires you to take a 15-minute "timeout" to gather yourself and refocus. These efforts are all part of his teaching and treating the whole child.

"When I left middle school and was going on to high school, I remember that last thing he said to me before I walked across the middle school stage to graduate: 'You better save me a ticket to your high school graduation,'" said the nominator. "Guess what? We talked throughout high school, and I did save him that seat at graduation! Unfortunately, it was also when COVID hit, and we were only allowed two tickets, which meant two people only could attend your graduation. He was very upset when I could not include him, and so was I.

"Now that I am in college, he sends my mom, me, and my grandpa texts bi-weekly to check on us. Still, he is treating the whole child and following through on his word to this day," said the nominator. "Thank you, Mr. Jones, for being the person you are, the educator you have always been, and a role model to emulate," said his nominator.