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Joyce Suber’s background resembles that of the many AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) students she has taught and mentored. She has the same vision for her children and her students that she once had for herself. Joyce is divorced and the proud mother of two children, daughter Arika and son Christopher, both college graduates. She also has two grandsons, DeLawrence (6 years old) and Jeremiah (1 years old) who are the children of daughter Arika and son-in-law, Raymond Wells. As an educator, Joyce deeply believes that all children can and will succeed and she credits her growing up with two strong and determined parents who provided her with the encouragement and the essential tools needed to become successful. Joyce grew up in Watts and Compton, CA with four sisters and two loving and hard working parents. Her father had a fifth grade education, but worked to be sure that his children and his wife had the opportunity to acquire a college education. Joyce earned her undergraduate degree at CSU Dominguez Hills and a graduate degree from Washington State University in history. She taught for nearly 10 years as a community college instructor and in 1984 she began teaching in LA Unified School District at a local middle school. This was followed two years later by a return to San Diego where she began teaching AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination), a college preparatory program, at Mar Vista High School in the Sweetwater Union High School District. After nearly ten years Joyce moved to the San Diego County Office of Education where she began as an AVID Project Specialist and is now the Regional Director of the AVID program. Her regional leadership includes all AVID programs in Imperial, Orange and San Diego Counties—some 302 middle and high schools. The AVID program is known for sending well over 90% of its students to colleges and universities. The program additionally provides generous scholarships (between 200,000 and 500,000 annually) to students throughout the county. Joyce has been the recipient of several awards throughout her career which include: Woman of the Year, from the National Organization of Business and Professional Women, Teacher of the Year, Mar Vista High School; “Award of Excellence,” UCSD Outstanding Educator Award, Educator of the Year nominee, California League of High Schools, and most recently, Woman of Distinction in 2004 from Women’s Inc. and “Outstanding Educator” award from Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. Joyce is currently on the Board of the San Diego Black Storytellers and the Scholarship Chairperson at her church, New Life Baptist . Joyce is a founding member of a local, non-profit parent-student assistance program; Pathways 2 College where she volunteers on several weekends monthly. She is also an active member and officer of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. where she assists with other community service and educational projects. |
