East Marion alum Fanta Coleman, on behalf of New York Life, recently donated nearly $2,000 combined to East Marion Elementary and East Marion High schools that has been earmarked for student literacy. The schools will use the funds to incentivize and reward East Marion students for literary achievement.
Coleman, a financial professional for New York Life based out of Frisco, Texas, said the 150-year-old company loves to give back to the community and gives its agents the freedom to decide where their available funds will be allocated. They are provided with roughly $40,000 annually to disperse to non-profit organizations they are passionate about, and Coleman’s alma mater was at the top of her list.
“We know that community is the foundation of what we do, protecting families and offering securities. I chose to give to East Marion because I’m a graduate and love my Eagles. I love literacy, love reading and I love learning. I wanted to give the kids some type of incentive for doing well on their state test. It’s important to me to reward children for doing well.”
East Marion Elementary Principal Angela Johnson said Coleman’s donation is extremely exciting and encouraging, and she can’t wait to see the impact it will have on her students.
“We’re just excited that she even thought to donate to us. It opens up a lot of incentives for students and teachers,” Johnson said. “Right now as we’re preparing for testing, it’s imperative that we keep our students motivated and encouraged to do well on their state tests. Having these funds available to provide incentives for students is tremendous. It helps us to promote student high achievement. Having those resources helps us a lot.”
East Marion High School Principal Sarah Gatewood said she believes offering rewards to the students will inspire them to form a more profound love for reading and writing. She added the incentives could range from a field trip to a party or prizes, and the decision will come down to student feedback.
“(This donation) reinforces the strong sense of community that we have with our alumni. We welcome any and all donations from future alumni members,” Gatewood said.
While offering life insurance, retirement planning and investments is the main part of her job at New York Life, Coleman said the company’s employees volunteer a lot through various community outreach methods.
Coleman has also partnered with the Marion County Coalition and will be working with Marion County School District Community Impact Coordinator Lacey Montgomery, which will afford her more opportunities to sponsor East Marion projects and initiatives.
“She was like an angel that just dropped in,” Montgomery said of Coleman. “Then she said she can do all these other things as well.”
“I can!” Coleman added excitedly.
“It’s been great,” Montgomery continued, “to just peel back the layers to discover what she brings to the table. It’s great to know that we have this resource available because Dr. Johnson loves to give back to these babies any way she can.”
Coleman was enthusiastically shocked to see Johnson in action when she arrived at East Marion on Monday. When she first crossed paths with Johnson, the principal was at the front of a classroom teaching. Coleman expected to see Johnson having a meeting with her teachers, but she was instead teaching a classroom full of students.
“She has rolled her sleeves up as the principal and is being the substitute teacher for a class of first graders. That’s what I love,” Coleman explained. “That’s why I do what I do. I love people, I love sharing and I love making people feel better.”
The Marion County School District is also excited to announce it has partnered with Mississippi Health Helps and will be hosting a Community Baby Shower Feb. 18 from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the Marion County BusinessPlex’s Community Meeting Room. It will be open to new and expecting mothers in Marion, Pearl River, Lamar, Jeff Davis, Lawrence and Walthall counties, and there will be resources and services available as well as free goods.
Montgomery said the baby shower has 300 spots available, and new and expecting mothers can register on Facebook or by calling 877-314-3843. The event will also be open to up to 20 vendors free of charge.
“We are looking to expand it, and we will have great gifts for our moms to receive,” Montgomery said. “We really want the vendors to have some sort of goods or resources to give to the moms.”
