A cafeteria worker of several years in the Poplar Bluff school system enjoyed serving students so much that she returned to college after 13 years to finish her teaching degree, becoming a first-generation graduate.

Jenna Blackmon, 37, is in her second year of teaching fourth grade English language arts and social studies at the Middle School upon presumably reaching the pinnacle of her cooking career as kitchen manager of the High School.

“It seems like being a teacher hits all my areas: I get to provide for my own kids and family, and for my students I get to shape their little minds and be a positive impact,” Blackmon reflected. “I feel like I have more purpose; I feel like I’m contributing more, and have more stability financially.”

Blackmon dropped out of college after attending for a year and a half when she became pregnant with her second child, Ariyana, now a senior, and raising a family took precedence over her educational pursuits. She previously was able to graduate with the PBHS Class of 2006, only briefly going on homebound to care for her unplanned firstborn, Tylei, with assistance from her family.

“At that time, I was just trying to provide for my family, and I put my dreams back," Blackmon explained. She noted that her husband, Michael, who is employed by Empire Comfort Systems, helped support their growing family while she was a homemaker.

She began her career with Chartwells School Dining Services in 2013, after her mother, Doris Johnson, discovered a job opening by happenstance while settling a lunch balance. "That sounded fine. I love cooking," Blackmon remembered thinking.

Starting in the deli and rotating through most of the serving stations at PBHS, Blackmon became known for going the extra mile for students by providing extra salt and pepper or ranch dressing. “Sometimes the small things make a big difference,” she said. “Some of these kids, it’s the only hot meal they get all day.”

As Blackmon advanced in her career, she spent more time managing inventory and had less interactions with students. During the stay-at-home order of 2020, while the kitchen staff was busy preparing curbside meals, she began hearing rumblings of a teacher shortage and decided it might be time to revisit her higher education.

As a full-time student once again, Blackmon graduated with her associate degree from Three Rivers College and then earned her Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Central Methodist University in December 2023. She made the dean’s list every semester, with her children serving as her driving force. "They deserve more," she said to herself.

What helped pave the way toward Blackmon's success was gaining a crash course in classroom management while substitute teaching for several months until she was hired during the 2024/25 school year. She felt she fit right in as a fourth grade instructor where she completed her student teaching—the same grade as her son Masyn at the time.

"No baby is a mistake," Blackmon stated. "My only regret was that I should have went back sooner. I wish I would have waited [to start a family], and had a five-year plan.”

She fondly recalled a formative experience with her first grade teacher, Lori Tibbs, who provided comfort when Blackmon had to be in school rather than at the hospital as her younger sister Kaytie was born. Tibbs would later allow Blackmon to bring the newborn in for ‘show and tell.' "School was my happy place,” Blackmon said.

Looking ahead, Blackmon's long-term goal is to pursue her master’s degree within five years and pay off her student loans. While she “loved being a lunch lady,” she said, she finds even greater fulfillment in developing one-on-one relationships with students in the classroom environment, and passing along some of her life lessons.

“Always continue to look forward and keep working toward your own goal,” Blackmon advised. “It’s never too late. On the other side is worth the tears and stress.”

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Cutline: Jenna Blackmon is pictured while receiving training over the summer of 2024 to be onboarded as a first-year teacher at the Poplar Bluff Middle School.