Jasmine Groce, BA'12, recently shared with us how her experiences as an undergraduate English major at George Mason shaped her as a community leader and educator in alternative education. Groce has 15 years of experience as an English Teacher, English Content Specialist, Instructional Specialist, and now as an Assistant Principal at the Maya Angelou Schools/ See Forever Foundation. Her work in alternative education has focused on supporting justice-involved youth and other under-served students. The ability to analyze language, history, identity, power, and society and how it shapes people's lives has helped her become a leader and advocate for the students and teachers she serves.
Question #1: What experiences from your time at Mason inform and impact your role as a community leader?
My time at Mason helped shape the way I see leadership, education, and community responsibility. As an English major with a concentration in Cultural Studies, I was constantly challenged to think critically about identity, history, language, power, and the systems that shape people’s lived experiences. Mason exposed me to diverse perspectives that pushed me to look beyond surface level thinking by always digging deeper into my interest and overall research around access and equity.
In English department based courses with Dr. Clarke and Dr. Wheelock, I developed confidence in my own voice. In courses with Dr. Manuel-Scott and Dr. Masters, I learned that my perspective mattered. These lessons have deeply impacted how I lead. I want students, teachers, and families to feel that same sense of value and agency. My work in education is rooted in the belief that communities grow stronger when people are heard, supported, and given the tools to be successful.
These experiences continue to inform my work as a school based leader because I understand that leadership is not just about having a title. It is about using your voice, knowledge, and position to create pathways for others. At Mason, I learned how to analyze the world around me, but more importantly, I learned that analysis should lead to action. I work to ensure that students, especially those who have been overlooked or under-served, have access to rigorous instruction, meaningful relationships, and opportunities to see themselves as capable, powerful,
and worthy.
Question #2: You were inspired to become an educator after learning about the school-to-prison pipeline during your undergrad. How does that knowledge influence your approach to your career?
Learning about the school-to-prison pipeline during undergrad was a defining moment for me. As a girl from a middle class family, where both parents are married, gainfully employed, and who pushed education onto me, the idea of a student's third grade literacy and numeracy being a determining factor of incarceration was a foreign concept for me. Due to my many years in
education, I now see that it is important for us to know that what happens in schools can either interrupt cycles of inequity or reinforce them. When I learned how the lack of access to quality instruction, paired with low expectations, and the overall systemic barriers could contribute to students being pushed out of school and into the justice system, I knew I wanted my work to be part of the solution.
That knowledge influences every part of my approach to education especially because I was not one hundred percent sure teaching was my desired career path. Now almost 15 years since taking that class, I have only worked in schools since. My philosophy is that schools must be places of restoration and opportunity; not places where students are defined by their mistakes or circumstances. In my career, I have worked with students who have experienced trauma, instability, court involvement, academic gaps, and systems that often told them more about
what they could not do than what they could become. Because of that, I approach my work with both urgency and compassion.
As an instructional leader, I focus on making sure students receive strong teaching and culturally responsive curriculum with adults who believe in their potential. My understanding of the school-to-prison pipeline reminds me that education can be a form of prevention, liberation, and transformation. It keeps me grounded in the importance of literacy, critical thinking, student voice, and access.
Question #3: You have served as a Department Chair, English Content Specialist, Instructional Coach, and now Assistant Principal of Instruction. What are some examples of how your experiences in each role have carried through to your work today?
Before any leadership title, my defining role was a High School English teacher. Teaching taught me that literacy is not just about reading and writing; it is about helping students find their voice, make meaning of the world, question systems, tell their stories, and understand the power of written and spoken word. My classroom was where I learned the importance of relationships, relevance, and culturally responsive teaching. It was also where I learned that students need
more than strong lessons. They need adults who see them fully, believe in them, and create space for them to think deeply about who they are and the world around them.
My students had a profound impact on me. They challenged me to become more reflective, more patient, more creative, and more committed. Many of my students came to class carrying experiences that required me to think beyond traditional instruction and ask myself how learning could become more meaningful, healing, and empowering. They taught me that leadership begins with listening. They taught me that students are experts in their own experiences, and when we honor their voices, we create stronger classrooms and stronger school communities. In many ways, my students shaped my purpose just as much as I helped shape
their academic growth.
As a Department Chair, English Content Specialist, and Instructional Coach, I learned the importance of leading from within a team. Building trust, learning to collaborate, and helping teachers work toward a shared goal is not an easy task. This experience carries through directly into my current role because instructional leadership is not just about evaluating teachers. It is about helping teachers improve in ways that impact student learning.
Now, as an Assistant Principal of Instruction, I bring all of those experiences together. I understand the classroom perspective, the curriculum models, the coaching needs, and the leadership expectations. My work today involves supporting teachers, developing instructional systems, analyzing data, strengthening curriculum, planning professional learning, and ensuring that students receive high-quality instruction. Each role prepared me to see the bigger picture while still paying attention to the daily practices that shape student outcomes. My work today is still rooted in what I learned in the classroom: instruction matters, relationships matter, student
voice matters, and the best educators are always learning from the young people they serve.
Question #4: You work with alternative students and detained youth. What is something you wish the world knew about these students?
I wish the world knew that alternative students and detained youth are not their worst decision or the label that has been placed on them by society. They are young people with talents, dreams, humor, intelligence, creativity, and potential. Many of them have had to navigate circumstances that adults (myself included) would struggle to survive, yet they still show up with resilience, insight, and a desire to be seen.
Too often, these students are spoken of through a deficit lens. People focus on what they did, what they lack, or how far behind they are academically. What I see every day is much more complex. I see students who are deeply reflective when given the space to be honest. I see students who are natural leaders but have not always been taught how to use their influence in positive ways.
I also wish people understood that these students do not need pity. They need access. They need high-quality teaching, consistency, mentorship, and opportunities. They need adults who recognize their humanity. At the end of the day, these students want what all PEOPLE want: to be respected, to be challenged, to be understood, and to have a future that is not limited by their past.
Question #5: If you could send a message to your undergraduate self, what would you say?
I would tell my undergraduate self to trust the path and to trust yourself even when it does not look possible. It will be difficult but to not let imposter syndrome make me question my place in rooms I worked hard to enter. There will be moments when you wonder if you are qualified enough, experienced enough, or ready enough, but you belong. Your voice, perspective, and ideas are valuable. Do not shrink yourself to make others comfortable, and do not mistake growth for inadequacy. It is possible to still be learning and still be worthy of all the things.
Lastly, I would also tell myself to trust myself more. Trust your instincts and your ability to figure things out. There will be times when you are waiting for validation, or confirmation from others before you move forward, but you already have wisdom inside of you. You will not always have every answer, and that is okay.