SCCPSS: STAFF SPOTLIGHT - Jaleisa Gilbert's Film Students Learn Creative Collaboration

Savannah GA

03 May, 2022

12:44 PM

Description

Press release from Savannah-Chatham County Public School System: 5/2/2022 Savannah native Jaleisa Gilbert comes from a long line of educators. Her mother, Dr. J'Nai Gilbert-Collins is the principal at Port Wentworth Elementary, while her grandfather, Dr. Robert Gilbert, worked his way up from teacher to associate superintendent. Her grandmother, Florence Murdock, was a special education teacher for more than 30 years. Knowing her family, it might be easy to assume the 26-year-old teacher at New Hampstead High School is exactly where she had always intended to be – in the classroom. To that, Gilbert might flash her megawatt smile and concede it was the farthest thing from her mind even five years ago. "I was going to be an abstract artist, it was absolutely my passion," she said. "I was in the International Baccalaureate program at Johnson High School when I took art as an elective course and just fell in love with it. "Of course, having a passion for art and making a living as an artist are two very different things. But I knew early on that my interests were definitely in the creative arts." As she began to look at colleges – and subsequent career possibilities – she quickly realized Savannah College of Art and Design had everything she wanted. This press release was produced by Savannah-Chatham County Public School System. The views expressed here are the author's own.