Jacynth Johnson is a New York native, born to Caribbean parents who always instilled in her and her sisters that “you don’t have to be the product of your environment.” With very little option of not pursuing a college education after high school, Jacynth attended the State University of Plattsburgh in Plattsburgh, NY. There she entered the dual degree in education program, completing her undergrad in English and her masters in Science for Teachers in five and a half years. During her college experience, she took advantage of the opportunity to study English at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, England. This semester abroad provided her with the unique opportunity to re-connect with her British family while learning and exploring European culture and diversity in Scotland, France, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany and Italy. No longer a city girl, Jacynth migrated to New Jersey in 2010 and landed her first teaching job in 2012 as a middle school language arts teacher in Plainfield, NJ. She taught middle school for six years and then transitioned to teaching high school English in the same district. During this time, Jacynth pursued another masters degree. She attended Kean University and completed a masters degree in Educational Administration. Similar to her focus and dedication to her college studies, Jacynth has wholeheartedly committed to her craft and thus naturally moved into supervision to serve as a Literacy Coach in her 8th year in education. This role allowed her to empower teachers, model best practices, and thereby improve teaching and learning. Now, in her 9th year of education, she serves as a Middle School Language Arts and Social Studies Supervisor. Additionally, she continues the work of empowering educators by consulting in the NJEA Instructional Issues and Professional Development Division while completing her final year of the Educational Leadership Doctoral program at Kean University. Her life’s work is to empower educators to unlock their fullest potential in the classroom and help youth girls to discover, own and walk boldly into their future.