If you’ve gone to the library this year to check out a book or simply get some peace and quiet, you’ve probably seen a new face sitting at the front desk. Camille Ross is a new addition to Jackson-Reed’s community, having started out in August as the library aide.
Ross’s choice to become a teacher was greatly influenced by how she grew up, as her mother and grandmother were both teachers. She affectionately refers to education as the “family business,” and, because of that, she also grew up loving books. After graduating from Howard University, Ross went back to do an internship at their research center, which she credits in giving “an exposure to librarianship in a way that I really appreciated, so I wanted to keep on doing that.”
As a library aide, Ross hopes to create an inviting and safe space for everybody. She highlights that since just coming to school every day is stressful, she wants to cultivate a place where students can come in and work on what they want without being pressured by rules and deadlines.
Outside of JR, someone might find Ross trying out a variety of dances, learning the Brazilian martial art Capoeira, or reading her poetry at an open mic. Like many of us, Ross has made a New Year’s resolution: a 12 week poetry challenge where she wakes up every day and writes three pages of poetry.
Of course, as someone who works in the library, Ross had to share her favorite books. Her favorite nonfiction book is When and Where I Enter by Paula Giddings, which is about the history of Black women’s activism in DC, Philadelphia, and New York. She thinks it’s a “really interesting study of a time people don’t really focus on.” Her favorite fiction book is Salt Eaters by Toni Cade Bombara and, though it took her a while to get through it the first time, she finds herself coming back to reread it.
When asked what she wanted Jackson-Reed students to remember, she responded fervently: “Remember that it’s only high school, there is a lot of life left to live, and you don’t have to have everything figured out right now. But if you are passionate about something, don’t be afraid to dive into it completely even if other people think it’s really lame or dorky… that’s balderdash.”
