First Lady Jerkins
COURTNEY JERKINS, ED.D
First Lady
Dr. Courtney Jerkins was born and raised in Hamden, Connecticut. From an early age, her parents instilled in her a love of the Lord and a dedication to serving others. As a youth, she served as Secretary and Junior Superintendent of the Sunday School Department at church; volunteered in local after-school programs and political campaigns; and participated in many community-focused extracurricular groups at school. She graduated valedictorian from middle school and high school. She also received the first Young Black Notable Award from the town of Hamden and the Role Model in the Community Award from a local church.
Lady Courtney earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Yale University. During her college years, she was named a Gates Millennium Scholar and a Management Leadership for Tomorrow Fellow. She also served as a praise leader for the Yale Christian Fellowship and a soloist and webmaster for the Yale Gospel Choir. She traveled internationally with both groups and found a love of teaching while on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Following graduation, Lady Courtney joined Teach For America and spent nine years teaching in Atlanta, GA.
In 2011, Lady Courtney earned a Master of Education in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Jones International University. In 2015, Pastor and Lady Jerkins moved to Texas, where she began working in district administration as a Curriculum Coordinator. In her time as a coordinator, she oversaw Science, Social Studies, and the English as a Second Language program for a school district. She raised thousands in grant funds and established partnerships with local universities and businesses to support improvements across the district. She was selected to present at several state and local conferences and was recognized as one of the Notable Nine in her school district for her work to promote the district on social media.
Lady Courtney earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Baylor University in 2020. As a doctoral student, she received the Johnny L. Veselka Scholarship recognizing outstanding doctoral students, awarded by the Texas Association of School Administrators. She was also awarded the Jeanie Holdbrook Moss Scholarship for outstanding doctoral and professional work by her school district. When Pastor Jerkins was called to a pastorate in Maryland, Lady Courtney served as an Assistant Principal in DC Public Schools. She now serves as an Educational Leadership Executive for a technology company, supporting school districts across the South. She also works to support Pastor in his leadership of NPBC and his work toward social justice.
Hebrews 11:6