Jacob Roth, 26, a graduate of the University of Michigan from Detroit, and Dave Molina, 23, a graduate of Amherst College who is from Ohio, came to Jackson in 2005. They arrived via the Teacher Corps Program at Ole Miss, which places non-education majors in critical areas while allowing them to earn a master's degree in education. Both landed at Jim Hill High School in South Jackson. They instantly bonded but realized something vital was missing for youth in Jackson.
"These kids are bored," say Roth, an English and math teacher (top right in photo). "Anything is better than boredom for them. They'd rather read a book after school with me than be bored."
Thus the idea for the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Club was born. Roth and Molina (top left in photo) initially thought the club would start a dialogue with the children, but it evolved into something much larger.
"The children just kept bringing up things they wanted to talk about," Roth says with a chuckle. "Before we knew it, other schools were coming in, St. Andrews and Murrah. This year Lanier and Forest Hill will also be taking part."
That isn't all. Former Gov. Ray Mabus, former Mississippi Secretary of State Dick Molpus and Mississippi Supreme Court Justice James E. Graves have all come to speak to the students. The program has also gone on the road, taking field trips to the Beth Israel Holocaust Memorial, the Memphis Civil Rights Museum and to Murrah's Black History Program.
"We get credit, but people from all around Jackson want to help these kids," Molina, a 10th-12th grade math teacher, says.
Roth, who was awarded an outstanding teacher of the year award by Parents for Public Schools on Aug. 1, is also working on an enrichment tutoring club with Molina. They will be pairing high-quality volunteer sophomore and freshman tutors with 15 struggling elementary students after school. Roth is humble about his achievements, which also include bringing a board game club and Princeton review to Jim Hill.
"It's really flattering that I get the name on the certificate, but the truth of the matter is that it could have gone to anyone in the building. Everyone works late, will drive kids home and give kids extra help," he says.
Both Roth and Molina are new shining stars of our community, but the kids aren't the only ones affected.
"These kids have reinforced for me how brilliant human beings are and how if you give kids a choice and show them you love them, they'll blow your socks off," Molina says.
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