This article is part of a series of Durham community leader profiles.
NC Student Teacher of the Year
Jessica On was settling into her first year as a full-time teacher when she uncharacteristically missed curriculum night. It was understandable as she was busy accepting the prestigious NC Student Teacher of the Year award. The evening was a notable moment in her ongoing Duke-Durham story.
First-generation college student
On, a Duke PPS ’24 graduate, attributes her journey from her home in California to Duke University, made possible by scholarships and inspiring teachers she recalls by name, as a testament to the power of education.
“Education was always super important to me because my parents were immigrants, and they never finished school,” shared On. “Me and my brothers grew up as first gen students.”
She recalls seeing the paths her life could have taken in the statistics covered in her public policy classes at Duke. “First-time students are less likely to do this, and low-income students are less likely to do that…and I’d think ‘How did I get out of these statistics? How did I beat these odds?’ When I thought about it, it was education that gave me this opportunity.”
“How did I beat these odds? It was education that gave me this opportunity.”
– Jessica on, nc student teacher of the year
More specifically, “I’m here because of so many teachers who believed in me, who pushed me to keep succeeding so that eventually I made it to Duke.”
A Duke community reimagining education
Arriving at Duke, Jessica’s early experience as a first-year student during the pandemic helped her build an appreciation for finding others passionate about careers in education. Living in a service-oriented living-learning dorm, she connected with peers during breaks from Zoom classes, where they shared stories and cultivated a sense of solidarity. It was in this setting that she met pivotal mentors, including Dr. Jan Riggsbee, a Professor of Practice in the Duke University Program of Education. While many peers pursued fields like business and medicine, Jessica found her calling in reimagining education and uplifting the teaching profession.
On stressed, “It’s really special when you can be with people who have big thoughts about where we can go, because a lot of the time when you talk about education, it feels grim.”
On’s passion took shape through her participation in a research collective with Duke and NCCU students and faculty focused on university-assisted community schools. Although her involvement in the Bass Connections team was limited to her senior year, it was a transformative experience.
“It provided a chance in a practical way to explore how we can increase educational equity, how we can reimagine what schools look like, and how we can leverage the assets of the community into the school experience,” explained On.
She learned the process of change was as critical as the vision: “While I was only able to do it for one year, there were a lot of people who were in it for a really long time, so they had a lot of institutional knowledge which is critical for developing a community initiative like this over time.”
The Bass Connections team was part of the group that became Southeast Regional Coalition for University-Assisted Community Schools (SRCUACS), the sixth regional training center for university-assisted community schools. On followed through on her commitment to long-term change by continuing to work with the SRCUACS post-graduation. She now serves as a project manager for the Durham University-Assisted Community Schools, and an advocate for programs that address both academic needs and the broader social context of students.
“Part of the project has been creating culturally responsive curriculum and anti-racist curriculum about Durham,” said On. “We want to help people going into service in Durham with what they need to know about the community before they enter it.”
“We want to help people going into service in Durham with what they need to know about the community, before they enter it.”
– jessica on
Growing personal ties to Durham
Completing her student teaching at E.K. Powe Elementary School, On embraced a close connection with her students and community, often walking to work from her home on 9th Street. Her outstanding work as a student teacher did not go unnoticed.
Nominated as Duke’s representative for the prestigious North Carolina Student Teacher of the Year award, On attended the awards ceremony in September, where she learned she had won.
On thought she might pursue her career in a city like Washington, D.C., or New York, but by the time she graduated, she recognized that effective teaching requires a deep understanding of the community. She felt a calling to contribute to the place she had come to know and love, so she chose to remain in Durham.
“When I got my job at Lyons Farm Elementary, it felt like this was a perfect match because there are a lot of things I want to stay involved with in Durham,” said On. “This is the place I started getting involved in the community, the place I started working with teachers, the place I started teaching, so why would I go somewhere else?”
“This is the place I started getting involved in the community…so why would I go somewhere else?”
– JEssica On
Joining the Teachhouse support system
As a TeachHouse Fellow, On has come full circle, once again finding strength in a living-learning community, and led by Dr.Riggsbee; the same professor who was a presence in her freshman dorm. Dr. Riggsbee founded TeachHouse to provide a shared living space and support system to help new alums transition into full-time teachers as well as to serve as a home base for education for early educators in the region. TeachHouse hosts professional development such as “Teach Ins” leveraging the work of the SRCUACS, and an annual Unconference.
“It is really important to me to build a community of people who understand what I am going through and understand the day-to-day experience of being a teacher. And it’s important to have a community that will not only listen, but can also problem solve with me,” said On.
When envisioning the future of education, Jessica advocates for an equity-driven curriculum that prepares teachers to engage with the communities they serve.
“It’s really redistributing a lot of the traditional power structures that we see to include community in the decision making because they are the ones who know what they need the most,” she emphasized.
On’s vision for the future also includes raising the public perception of the teaching profession, emphasizing that every successful person has benefitted from the guidance of a teacher.
Making a Difference for Fifth Graders
Today, On is a proud Durham Public Schools educator and an active community member, embodying the resilience, passion, and dedication that have defined her journey. Through her work, she continues to inspire, striving to elevate both her students and the teaching profession itself.
“There is so much joy in the classroom,” said On. “At the same time, there’s never enough time in the day to do all the things that you need to do. But at the end of the day, I remind myself: I don’t remember what the day-to-day was like in fifth grade. I just remember who my teacher was, and that’s who I’m trying to be.”
Photos by Jared Lazarus/ Office of Communications and Marketing, Duke University.
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