Wakefield High School

Joi Chisholm-Thaxton

Special education teachers receive little to no support. Their students aren't expected to exceed standards and pass statewide assessments. Although she is no longer my teacher; 6 years ago she made a remarkable imprint in my life. Six years later; I am living a dream that I never thought possible. With prayer and faith in God; I am embarking upon the completion of my first year in college as a freshman at Hampton University. It was Joi Chisholm's (Thaxton) first year teaching and her assignment was a middle school in Portsmouth, Va. (A school many educators opted not to work at). She was a special education teacher but she signed up as my mentor. I was hard to get along with and very unlikebale but she forced me to believe in myself and encouraged me to believe in God. Once she relocated to North Carolina; I gave up hope. I ended up seeking love in the wrong place and became a mom at fifteen. It was her family who took me in when my own threw my son and I away. Joi taught me a different life. My GPA rose from a 1.7 to a 3.3 in 2.5 years and I was the first person in my immediate family to graduate high school; yet alone with honors. I followed in her foot-steps and am attending her alma-mater; Hampton University. My biological family gave me life; Joi and her family gave me purpose. Joi is more than a teacher; she is my sister.