Holly Nicole Jones

age: 34 | Assessment Coach & Trainer | Arkansas State University

Holly Jones is a former teacher with “a passion for kids, and kids that have been through trauma at a young age,” she said. After spending some time in front of the classroom, Holly transitioned from teaching children to teaching teachers. “I’m an assessment coach and trainer,” she explained. “I coach preschool teachers in their classrooms on how to assess their students through play and observation. In the summer, I train new hired teachers on assessment and refresh veteran teachers on new research about assessment.”

It is her passion for children that drives her work every day. “At the end of the day it comes down to helping and bettering the lives of children. That’s where my heart is at,” she said. “I’m a firm believer that, no matter a child’s circumstance, if they have one positive influence in their life, then they are capable of success, and sometimes it may just be a teacher who is that one person. I also relate to the flawed education system, and the amounts of stress and pressure our teachers are under with little pay. If I can help ease that stress and make a teacher’s life easier in their classroom then I have accomplished my goal.” 

Best advice you’ve ever received:

“RESPECT AND MANNERS WILL TAKE YOU FURTHER IN LIFE THAN ANY EDUCATION EVER WILL.” –DALLAS KELLER, HOLLY’S GRANDFATHER

A single mother of three children, Kullen, Karsyn, and Kollyns, when Holly’s not at her day job, she is juggling her part-time jobs at Fox Sports Texarkana, ESPN Texarkana radio stations, and 9 Round gym. She recently joined the Junior League of Texarkana and is a regular supporter of the Randy Sams’ Outreach Center. She is accustomed to being busy: for example, to earn her master’s degree, she completed the program in one year, while maintaining full-time employment and raising two children. “That has been my greatest professional accomplishment so far,” she said.

Looking ahead, Holly has dreams of serving the homeless population— literally. “My goal is to remodel my grandpa’s old horse trailer into a food truck,” she explained. “I’d travel to concerts and big events to serve people food and drinks. I want to name it ‘The Crazy Heifer’ and set it up once a month to feed the homeless at no cost. That’s my little pipe dream.” 

Name something about you that very few people know:

“I was born nine weeks early, and the doctor told my mom not to count her chickens before they hatched, meaning I might not make it. The only issue I had from being a preemie was I couldn’t bend my legs completely. Shriner’s Hospital fixed my legs at the age of 10. I couldn’t ride a bicycle until then. I have huge scars on my thighs, so as a kid when people would ask me what happened, I would tell them a shark attack.”