Yvonne Smith-Jones Oral History Interview

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Oral history conducted for the Living the Legacy: 50th Anniversary of African Americans in Residence commemoration. Yvonne Smith-Jones arrived at William & Mary in 1985, earning a Master of Arts of Education, an Education Specialist Degree, and a Doctorate of Education by 1997. After graduating with her Ed.D. Smith-Jones worked at Hopewell City Public Schools for over 22 years, contributed to special projects with VCU and ODU, and has served on the School of Education Development Board at William & Mary. She has also been involved with the Hulon Willis Association. Yvonne currently works as an Educational Consultant through Highly Effective Services, Inc. In her interview, Smith-Jones expresses that, from a young age, she intuitively felt that she would, one day, attend William & Mary. Though she recalls the graduate experience as being largely separate from that of undergraduates, like others, she recalls the impactful presence of Dean Carroll Hardy and holds fond memories of going to Swem Library and basketball games. In her professional life, Smith-Jones notes connections to William & Mary, from serving on the School of Education Board to witnessing one of her students, Eboni Brown, come to William & Mary and become the first female African American president of the Student Assembly.

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