'This Is My Place:' South Grad's Work Earns Statewide Recognition
Posted on February 4, 2022
After earning a bachelorās degree in education at the »ĘÉ«APPĻĀŌŲ, Darlene Lewis became a kindergarten teacher at Holloway Elementary School.
While teaching in Mobile, she earned a masterās degree from South in school counseling and began working as a counselor at Craighead Elementary School. Now sheās a professional counselor at Blount High School, where some of the students look familiar.
āIām seeing kids that I taught in kindergarten, during my early days of teaching, and now theyāre students here,ā Lewis said. āThatās very rewarding. They stay attached to you. They know you. They want to be around you and they still need your help.
āOne of my kids was singing in the chorus room one day. Heās super talented. And I was like, āI had no idea thatād be you one day.āā
While working at Pillans Middle School and Scarborough Middle School, she and two other counselors completed requirements to have their work recognized as a Program of Distinction by the Alabama School Counselor Association. They were the first Mobile public schools to earn this distinction, presented by the American School Counselor Association.
āItās important, as professional school counselors, to know that everything youāre doing has meaning behind it, that everything youāre doing helps students grow,ā she said.
Dr. Amy Upton, an assistant professor in the department of school counseling at South, was impressed with the Program of Distinction effort in Mobile. Sheās known Lewis since she was a graduate student.
āSince then, sheās really done some amazing stuff,ā Upton said. āEvery time I think sheās found a place, she seems to reach higher and get there with energy, focus and a smile on her face. She is determined, she is positive, she is strategic. She loves the work she does and never shies away from that next challenge.ā
Prichard Proud
Lewis, 35, grew up in Prichard, north of Mobile. Her father worked two and three jobs to make ends meet. Her mother was a stay-at-home mom.
Sometimes her home life was uncertain, often relying on family and friends for support, but nothing affected her love of learning.
āSchool was my safe haven, my safe place,ā Lewis said. āThatās where I excelled. Iāve never been out of school, really. This is my place.ā
She attended Vigor High School, where she made good grades. She couldnāt afford many extracurricular activities, but was active in the Junior ROTC and became commander of the Color Guard during her senior year. Yet she wasnāt on track to further her education.
āWhen I left high school,ā she said, āI was one of those students who didnāt understand the ins and outs of applying to college and looking at scholarships or grant money.ā
With advice from her aunt, Lewis began studying hairstyling at Bishop State Community College. One of her advisers, Katina Simpson-White, urged her to take general education courses as well. Again, she made good grades, but this time she had goals in mind.
She earned an associate degree in sociology and then a bachelorās degree in elementary education at the »ĘÉ«APPĻĀŌŲ.
āBefore I even transitioned, I had a plan,ā she said. āI knew what courses I was going to take and when I was going to graduate. I didnāt have much of a campus life. I worked as a certified pharmacy technician at Rite Aid and as a paraprofessional for Mobile County Public Schools.ā
At South, she did enjoy classroom discussions with students from all walks of life. It made things more interesting. Part of her education.
After graduation, Lewis taught kindergarten for five years at Holloway Elementary, where she enjoyed family connections at the school.
āMy aunt, Deborah Adams, one of the women who raised me, was the cafeteria manager at Holloway,ā she said. āSo teaching there was like being at home with momma.ā
It was her grandfather ā Joe Lewis, a Mobile jazz musician ā who encouraged her to return to South and get her masterās degree. She did, earning a degree in school counseling in 2015. She worked at middle schools before moving up to Blount High School.
Lewis doesnāt care for the old-fashioned title of āguidance counselor.ā Today, school counselors help students prepare academically, as well as socially and emotionally. Her goal is to anticipate the challenges and problems facing her teenagers.
āYou want to be proactive in what you do,ā she said. āThatās why itās so important to come in every day with a plan.ā
Family and Community
Last year, Lewis married Jeremy Stradford, a biology teacher at Williamson High School. They were introduced by one of their colleagues.
Heās interested in golf and bicycling, while she prefers reading and staying at their home in Midtown. She does enjoy swimming, a sport she picked up while mentoring the Marlins Swim Team at the Dearborn YMCA.
In the community, Lewis is a member of the Junior League of Mobile. Sheās active in her church, the Gulf Coast Christian Center. In her spare time, sheās a Mary Kay beauty consultant.
A few years ago, she did some local modeling. In 2008, she was a member of the royal court for the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association.
āIt was fun ā and hectic,ā she said. āFive days of running from here to there, with all the different outfits.ā
Lewis may have moved to Mobile, but she remains proud of her roots in Prichard. She wants to make sure all of her students know about the opportunities available to them. School work is one way to give back to her community.
Even at Blount, she remains loyal to her alma mater, Vigor, which is a longtime rival.
āIām here, but Iām hesitant about wearing purple,ā she said, laughing. āItās a rival thing. But Iāll definitely wear a leopard print.ā
She supports the Prichard community, no matter the school. At her church, mentors are called ādestiny helpersā ā people who you get where youāre supposed to be. At her high school, she strives to be professional as well as compassionate.
āIām definitely a hugger,ā she said. āYou know, āWhat do you need? How can I help you? What can we do to fix this?ā But Iām by the book, too.ā
Lewis hasnāt planned her school career in Mobile, but already she has worked at the elementary, middle and high school levels. One day she might be interested in becoming a supervisor or taking a position in school administration.
āIāve never had a path in mind, but Iāve always been offered jobs,ā she said. āYou know, āCome to our school. We hear good things about you.ā So Iāve been blessed in that.ā
