THE PATRON OF EDUCATION

Dr. Bondy Shay Gibson, Charles Town

Superintendent of Jefferson County Schools who made the news with her letter to students about the importance of enjoying their snow day during the pandemic

A TRUE PASSION

“School was a place that made me successful, where I felt accomplished, and it was also a way out of poverty. At the end of the day, education was a way for me to turn around and give a hand up to other kids who were in similar situations. I ended up in a place where being a school teacher was really the best way for me to help people and support them while they figured out who they were and what they wanted to do with their lives—because that’s the big question we all have. It got a lot more real when I had my own son. Everything is going to fall onto this whole next generation, and they’re going to take care of this world.”  

SWITCHING THINGS UP

“People tend to ask kids, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ and that’s not the right question—it’s, ‘Who do you want to be when you grow up?’ Your job doesn’t define you, and I think we’re probably getting better at it; we spend more time on who somebody wants to be and not just what they want to be.”

STAYING THE COURSE

“I love being a superintendent. But if I saw myself ever doing anything else, I would be teaching teachers, because you’re always a teacher first and foremost, even when you become an administrator.”

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER 2021 WEST VIRGINIA WONDER WOMEN

Learn more about our Wonder Women

Since 2014 WV Living magazine has been honoring West Virginia Wonder Women, amazing women who are raising the bar in their communities, serving as beacons of light in their industries, and forcing change for the greater good. WV Living is proud to celebrate these Appalachian mothers, millennials, and mavens proving that in a time full of uncertainty, divisiveness, and hate, love for one another is all we really need. No need for bulletproof bracelets or a golden lasso of truth—these women are creating a better West Virginia with their can-do attitudes and Mountain State spirit.