Jackson State University alumnae Camille Stutts Simms received one of the best birthday presents she could ever ask for on Tuesday, Oct. 7, when the Jackson Public School District installed her as one of its newest board members on her special day.
Stutts Simms, a 1978 biology major at JSU, expressed her excitement about the trustee appointment to the second-largest school district in Mississippi, saying, “It means a lot as a parent of four children. It gives me an opportunity to influence and reaffirm that our children deserve a quality education and to have an effect on the next generation of children in Mississippi.”
Recounting her life of growing up in a family of educators and standing on the shoulders of giants, she credits God and family for her destiny. Stutts Simms is the daughter of an educator who taught 40 years for JPS, JSU and other institutions. As well, her grandmother was a principal who previously helped found a one-room church school.
As a new board member, Stutts Simms says she is looking forward to learning about the JPS system from a different perspective in hopes of bringing diverse ideas to help the institution and its young stakeholders. “We must assist children in developing a global perspective so that they can reach their goals,” she continued.
In addition, she says she’s especially grateful for JSU, crediting it for exposing her to a network of people from different backgrounds and continents in learning about world affairs. She said her educational background catapulted her deeper into the business world after attaining a master’s of Public Policy degree from the University of Missouri, which led her to a career with IBM. It is there where she implemented business and governmental strategies through computerization. Today, she works as an insurance broker.
Meanwhile, her relationship with her JSU alma mater persists today through one of her offspring, Marissa Simms, owner of Royal Bleau Boutique at One University Place on the JSU campus.
With her appointment by the mayor and confirmation by the City Council, Stutts Simms says she aims to make a difference in the lives of young people throughout the city. She is one of seven members who represents the nearly 30,000-student school system for each of the cities wards.