Inspired to become a teacher by her firsthand experience with educational inequity, Jamila Marston encountered teachers in her own childhood who questioned her abilities based on preconceived notions of socioeconomic status, demographics, and gender. “No child should be subjected to that,” she says. “Instead, all children should be exposed to teachers who care and want the best for them, teachers who strive to reach them by any means necessary without prejudice. I wanted to be that teacher.”

Now in her sixth year at Truesdell, Ms. Marston emphasizes the concept of malleable intelligence with her students, convincing them not to dwell on previous years, but instead to focus on improving academically now and in the future. “Within our classroom, we all know that we hold our destinies in our hands,” she explains. She also serves her school community as track and field and girls’ basketball coach, and by founding a school-wide Big Brother and Sister Mentorship program. Her principal notes, “There is hardly need for classroom management in her class, as Ms. Marston’s relationships with her students are so strong. Students are eager to learn and have the utmost respect for her, because they know how much she cares about them.” Last year, nearly 70 percent of her students scored proficient or advanced on the DC CAS exam, surpassing the district average by 15 percent. Ms. Marston strives to make learning fun and accessible, assisted by her classroom pet, Smurfie the Corn Snake. “As an educator,” she explains, “I am willing to take on whatever role necessary—be it teacher, mentor, coach, parent, counselor, social worker, or psychologist—to reach all children while enabling them to reach their academic potential.”