Coming home was an emotional decision for Jenna Stevens, who serves as Director of Special Education for Carroll County Schools.
After spending most of her career in neighboring Trimble County, Stevens had the opportunity to return to her roots. It was a chance to finish her career in the community where she grew up, where she graduated from Carroll County High School in 1989 and where her mother had spent her entire career serving students.
“I thought it would be nice to be able to end my career where I grew up and graduated from and where my mother retired,” Stevens said.
Her mother, Sandy May, spent her career in Carroll County Schools and retired as principal of Kathryn Winn Primary. Her father, Robert May, was also an educator and superintendent of neighboring Trimble County Schools.
Stevens grew up watching both of her parents devote their lives to education. Their influence helped shape her own career and the way she views the responsibility that comes with working with children and families.
“Education has always been in my blood,” Stevens said with a smile.
Her mother also left her with a lesson that Stevens has carried throughout her career: Every student matters.
“She’d want to bring home every student,” Stevens said with a laugh amid a few tears. “And sometimes she did.”
Stevens always wanted to work in schools, although she knew she didn’t necessarily want to be a classroom teacher. Instead, she became a speech-language pathologist in Trimble County Schools, where she spent 20 years working with students across grade levels.
Then came the opportunity she hadn’t been looking for, but ultimately knew she wanted.
“I wanted to come back home,” she said. “My mother made a big impact in this district, and I wanted to as well. Or at least feel like I have helped.”
Now, as Stevens prepares to retire Oct. 1 and reflects on what has meant the most during her career, she doesn’t point first to a particular program or accomplishment. Instead, she talks about people.
She remembers parents who have thanked her for advocating for their children. She remembers former students who have remembered the support they received years earlier. She remembers families who appreciated knowing someone was working to make things better for their children.
“I think a lot of it is just when people appreciate you being an advocate for their children and trying to make things better for their children,” she said.
Stevens and her husband, who also recently retired, plan to travel, beginning with a cruise to the Mexican Riviera. She hopes to eventually travel abroad. She’ll also help plan her daughter’s wedding, work on some remodeling projects and spend more time with her church, Carrollton Christian Church.