Julie Roberts (MS)

In 2015, I began teaching Spanish at Clinton High School. Prior to that, I had been teaching since 2005 at Hinds Community College, Mississippi College, Rankin County School District, Jackson Public School District, and Centro Educativo de Blas Pascal in Mérida, Yucatán, México.  In 2017,  I founded the “Las Flechas”chapter of Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, and pushing the more fluent students in Spanish to lead the beginners in the Spanish club. AIM (Arrow Intercultural Mentors) was founded by myself in 2018 to support students who do not speak English as a first language.  Along with weeks in Ukraine hosting language camps, I have presented at multiple conferences.  These include being a co-presenter at Mississippi Association for School Superintendents (MASS) in 2020 and presenter on the Seal of Biliteracy at Mississippi Foreign Language Association of Central MS.  I was chosen to serve on multiple committees which include Counselor Advisory Board of Clinton High School Career Center Services, ESL Course Code Committee, Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), ESL Credentialing Committee, MDE, AMTESOL Board, PK-12 South MS Member at Large, Committee for Assessments for MS Seal of MDE, and English Language Proficiency Correspondence Committee, MDE. One of our school’s favorite events is our Teacher’s Thanksgiving event in November.  Our EL students of more than six languages and countries share their food and culture.  Last year we had our first group of students receive the Seal of Biliteracy where nine students achieved success in six different languages.  I am the school coordinator and advocate for the students in the district. I did not do all of this alone.  My husband, Noah, and my sons, Walt and Paul, are always the extra hands and cheerleaders for my students during after school activities. I could not do all of the amazing, fun things to advocate for languages without the support of my principal, Mr. Brett Robinson.