Jatavia Thornton shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Jatavia , thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Reading a good book. Everyone in my life will tell you I will choose reading over doing anything.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello, my name is Jatavia Thornton M. Ed and I am a Literacy Educator. Previously I saw myself as an early childhood educator but as I have obtained my masters degree and am currently working on my doctoral degree, I have experience and knowledge covering students k-12, infancy, and early childhood. I am the first in my family to obtain a Doctoral degree and I am excited to set the new standard for someone like me. I am a black woman and it is a challenge moving through predominately white spaces, but I have learned to navigate these spaces while being true to who I am. That is what makes my dissertation topic so unique. I am studying African American Vernacular English and how it is affecting black students in reading, writing, and math. My dissertation encompasses my journey and how I was able to get to this point in my life through learning how to code-switch, while still using AAVE in certain situations and in my home life. I was first introduced to Voyage Local when speaking out about my non-profit organization, Preschoolbookcorner, which helps combat book deserts in the Austin area. I have successfully complete 3 book giveaways at a Title 1 school in Austin and I am ready to branch out and connect with other schools in the area. I know with my dissertation and the importance of the topic, it will propel me into my next career.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Professor Parks at Texas State University, Kristina Higgins at Tarleton State University, and my middle school Language Arts teacher from Bishop Dunne, were the few white women who saw me clearly for who I was before I saw it in myself. I feel that it is important to acknowledge that I had white woman in my corner rooting for me, when no one else was. They saw my knowledge and wanted to enhance upon it. They saw my shyness and worked to help me build my confidence. They saw my anxiety and found ways for me to calm the voices in my head. They saw things in me that others would forget or would not recognize and in that process they made me feel seen. There was one point where my parents could not afford my tuition for Bishop Dunne and my teacher helped find a scholarship for my family so I could continue my journey there. All of these woman have helped me in some shape or fashion that helped me become the educator that I am today and I will forever be grateful.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me the season of being alone. When you are successful, everyone wants to feel your success and be apart of your success for their own personal gain. With failure and suffering, you often go through that alone. No one calls you, texts you, or even messages you on social media. You can even mention you are suffering to others and they will ignore you as if they did not hear you. I had to learn that the person who is putting in all the work, making the effort, and putting their best foot forward is me, so when I fail or succeed, I know I have my own back for sure.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
No, the public version of me is not the real version of Jatavia. I do not even go by Jatavia when I am not in the public eye. I have a family nickname that I go by and that lets me know the type of relationship I have with people. I always say I want to be rich but not famous. I like to have boundaries. I like to have a life outside of the public eye. I like to go to the grocery store with my Adam Sandler fit and not be recognized. I have bad days and good days and being in the public eye makes it harder for you to have those bad days publicly, so I let the public see one version of me while my close friends and family get the 100% authentic version of Jatavia.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
That I made someone’s day better, or I helped change their circumstances simply by providing them a book. There is a song by Beyonce that I play when I am feeling down. It is called I am here. There is one line where she sings, “There are hearts I have touched, will be proof that I leave, That I made a difference and this world will see I was here.” I want to leave a mark in my community to let them know I was here. I gave my all, I did my best, I tried to bring someone some happiness. I want that to be my story, the impact I left behind.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Niyah Brown niyahbrown1121@gmail.com
