THIS MONTH'S FEATURED EDUCATOR
“When They Speak, You hear It In Your Own Language”
Ms. Nicola Tollett JeffersoN
ZHL Consulting is proud to celebrate Ms. Nicola Tollett Jefferson as the October 2021, "Featured Educator".
ZHL Consulting has created this program to recognize and celebrate the dedicated educators that go above and beyond to educate the future leaders of the world. Once a month we will choose an educator who demonstrates the qualities needed to develop the minds of today’s students.
These monthly Featured Educators are selected with Chengdu as the locus, and radiating out to include Mainland China and the wider Asia Pacific Region. They are recognized on our corporate website, and celebrated on all ZHL Consulting media networks.
Ms. Jefferson arrived in China in September 2017 to serve as Lead Teacher at a school in Shenzhen. She came to RDF International School (RDFIS) in August 2020 to serve as Academic Vice Principal. Now the Academic Principal, she looks forward to building on the significant success of this renowned international school.
Ms. Jefferson received her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Columbia University, her Master of Science in Education (M.S. Ed) and Principal Certification from the University of Pennsylvania, her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Smith College (Phi Beta Kappa—anthropology and French—La Sorbonne), and her teaching certifications (Social Studies, French, and Spanish) from Swarthmore College.
With over 20 years of experience as an educator, Ms. Jefferson has taught French, Spanish, History, TOEFL and ESL in a variety of contexts, including an IB school, a community college, and a Philadelphia public high school. In addition to being the Founder and Executive Director of a successful college preparatory non-profit organization for twelve years, her previous jobs include attorney at a large corporate law firm; lobbyist for immigrant and refugee rights, and human rights researcher for Rwanda. An avid traveler, she has been to 24 countries on 5 continents.
As for her home country, the United States of America, she has been to 38 of the 50 states and lived in eight of them. She is the recipient of several awards, including Friend of the Community Award, Congregation Beth Israel of Media; Unsung Hero Honoree, Ebony Magazine Sister-Speak Series; Education Award, The Islamic Center of Chester; Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year, District of Columbia Bar; and Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for Outstanding Coverage of the Disadvantaged.
She is the proud mother of two adult sons: one is a graduate of Pomona College and the University of Chicago and the other is a graduate of Brown University. As a young girl, she learned early on the power and importance of education: her father was the youngest Dean of a Law School and her mother also earned a law degree, and hosted a news television show. Her uncles and aunts on both sides of her family successfully pursued higher education, many of whom were pioneers in their respective fields.
Ms. Jefferson states:
“I believe in the power of education. I believe, as has been famously said, that the arc of the universe is long but it does indeed bend toward justice. I believe that teaching is the most noble profession. I believe that to be one’s best at anything—especially teacher, parent, school principal—one must continue to work at being one’s best. I believe that all have special gifts, talents, and abilities. I believe we all can make a positive difference.”
Among her favorite quotes are:
“Sheer existence is the awesome mystery and miracle we all share.” –Frederick Franck
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” –William Butler Yeats
“Mental health is an ongoing process of dedication to reality at all costs.” –M. Scott Peck
“Just like brushing your teeth, you should work on your mental health every day.”—E.E. Tollett
ZHL Consulting has created this program to recognize and celebrate the dedicated educators that go above and beyond to educate the future leaders of the world. Once a month we will choose an educator who demonstrates the qualities needed to develop the minds of today’s students.
These monthly Featured Educators are selected with Chengdu as the locus, and radiating out to include Mainland China and the wider Asia Pacific Region. They are recognized on our corporate website, and celebrated on all ZHL Consulting media networks.
Ms. Jefferson arrived in China in September 2017 to serve as Lead Teacher at a school in Shenzhen. She came to RDF International School (RDFIS) in August 2020 to serve as Academic Vice Principal. Now the Academic Principal, she looks forward to building on the significant success of this renowned international school.
Ms. Jefferson received her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Columbia University, her Master of Science in Education (M.S. Ed) and Principal Certification from the University of Pennsylvania, her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Smith College (Phi Beta Kappa—anthropology and French—La Sorbonne), and her teaching certifications (Social Studies, French, and Spanish) from Swarthmore College.
With over 20 years of experience as an educator, Ms. Jefferson has taught French, Spanish, History, TOEFL and ESL in a variety of contexts, including an IB school, a community college, and a Philadelphia public high school. In addition to being the Founder and Executive Director of a successful college preparatory non-profit organization for twelve years, her previous jobs include attorney at a large corporate law firm; lobbyist for immigrant and refugee rights, and human rights researcher for Rwanda. An avid traveler, she has been to 24 countries on 5 continents.
As for her home country, the United States of America, she has been to 38 of the 50 states and lived in eight of them. She is the recipient of several awards, including Friend of the Community Award, Congregation Beth Israel of Media; Unsung Hero Honoree, Ebony Magazine Sister-Speak Series; Education Award, The Islamic Center of Chester; Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year, District of Columbia Bar; and Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for Outstanding Coverage of the Disadvantaged.
She is the proud mother of two adult sons: one is a graduate of Pomona College and the University of Chicago and the other is a graduate of Brown University. As a young girl, she learned early on the power and importance of education: her father was the youngest Dean of a Law School and her mother also earned a law degree, and hosted a news television show. Her uncles and aunts on both sides of her family successfully pursued higher education, many of whom were pioneers in their respective fields.
Ms. Jefferson states:
“I believe in the power of education. I believe, as has been famously said, that the arc of the universe is long but it does indeed bend toward justice. I believe that teaching is the most noble profession. I believe that to be one’s best at anything—especially teacher, parent, school principal—one must continue to work at being one’s best. I believe that all have special gifts, talents, and abilities. I believe we all can make a positive difference.”
Among her favorite quotes are:
“Sheer existence is the awesome mystery and miracle we all share.” –Frederick Franck
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” –William Butler Yeats
“Mental health is an ongoing process of dedication to reality at all costs.” –M. Scott Peck
“Just like brushing your teeth, you should work on your mental health every day.”—E.E. Tollett
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