We were lucky to catch up with Andre’a Hopkins recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Andre’a thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.
As an educator of 7 years, I’ve developed a strong desire to leave my community better than I’ve found it. The school systems that I’ve worked and currently worked in are considered low-income rural areas. Academically, our students are not quite. the draw-dropping surprise. However, what I’ve realized is that it is not them to fully blame. In fact, the fault does not fall on just one person. For example, last year I had a student who had a hard time staying awake in class. Of course, sleeping in class is not tolerated, so that student faced many consequences because of that. However, silent lunch and in school suspension didn’t solve the issue directly. Finally one day, I tried another method. I pulled that student aside one day and asked them why was it so hard for them to stay awake. They explained how their mom has to work two jobs to make sure they have everything that they need. Since their mom works most of the day, the student (being the oldest out of 3) has to take care of their younger siblings and watch them every night. This changed my perspective about this situation because sometimes we overlook other influences on behavior. In most low-income rural communities, the average person cannot survive off of one income. Being forced to work more than one job essentially takes away from parental involvement in their child’s education and behavior. This is one reason why as an educator, I prioritize building positive relationships with my students the moment they enter the classroom. Seeing how demographics play a significant role in our daily lives also motivated me to establish positive relationships with my athletes and peers in the modeling industry. Sometimes you never know how your presence alone may uplift someone.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but she spent most of my childhood in Weldon, NC. Growing up I’ve always enjoyed music, basketball, biking, and reading! I played the alto saxophone for 9 years. Throughout middle school and high school, I’ve always knew that I wanted to be an educator. Now, I’m currently approaching year eight as a 7th grade social studies teacher and year 7 as a coach. I attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and started my own thrifting business to assist with college expenses. Right after college, I headed straight to the classroom while pursuing my Masters in Public Administration. My role as an educator and coach enabled me to incorporate my outside passions and desire for youth development with my career! Over the years, I’ve served as a mentor, event coordinator, modeling coach, and track coach.
As an education professional and creative (model and entrepreneur), I believe that what sets me apart is my experience as a teacher. The skills and tools that I’ve developed as a teacher have definitely helped me out a lot in the creative world. Event planning is one of them. Modeling for me, isn’t as easy as it looks. Every shoot has to be purposeful. Whether I’m posing for new digitals or for my portfolio, it will work towards my goals. I’ve also learned patience which is very important for a coach. Whether that’s for my track athletes or my model mentees. Patience that I’ve developed as an educator has allowed me to embrace the struggle, as well as growth. It has also inspired me to offer help with an open perspective. A lot of times when we are working in a particular industry, we see ourselves as commodities or servants for that specific field. The reality is we are still human operating in a purpose that essentially benefits the world and the universe in a way that we may not understand initially. My modeling experience has also encouraged me to explore pageantry more. My platform is educational based with three main programs under my initiative: Adopt a Teacher, Adopt a Student, and Project Ignite. All initiatives are geared towards increasing both teacher and student engagement through integration of extracurricular activities and passions.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
One advantage of modern technology is that it increases exposure to potential clients or partners. Earlier in my journey, I wish I knew more about video editing software, social media analytics, youtube creator studio, and photo editing software. As a small boutique owner I find myself paying out of pocket for others to provide a service that I could provide for myself if I knew more about it. Even with the other hats that I wear as an educator, model, and coach; video editing is very popular in terms of marketing.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
One thing that I admire about my creative community is that the tone is always positive. People who are exploring and thriving in their creative element have a restored sense of positive energy and peace. I understand that creativity serves as an outlet to relieve stress and escape from our daily troubles. However, I believe that practicing and valuing peace in other types of environment such as the workplace will help develop and maintain high morale.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thriftedandlifted.bigcartel.com
- Instagram: @jussandrea__
- Facebook: Andre’a Hopkins
Image Credits
Gregory Jones