ECAA Coach Yalonda Tibbs Shows Learners: ‘Keep the Faith’

When young people arrive at Escambia County Acceleration Academies carrying not just their schoolwork but also serious life challenges, they find a compassionate ear — and inspiring example — in career and life coach Yalonda Tibbs.

Tibbs grew up in a “very abusive” home, and her father murdered her mother when Yalonda was just 16. She was unable to graduate with her class, had to attend summer school to make up for lost credits, and fell from being the top flute player in the Pensacola High School band to the last.

“It was rough,” recalls Tibbs, who is now the mother of two grown sons, and the grandmother of two. “Mentally, I was not there.”

Still, she persevered, earning her diploma and then going on to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in global business management. She and her husband (who is now deceased) adopted and raised her younger sister. She worked at a Hardees restaurant as breakfast manger, helped sometimes angry customers at a power company, and then became a guidance counselor working at the elementary, middle, high school and college levels.

Now, she is bringing all of that experience and knowledge to bear at ECAA, which works in partnership with the public school district to provide a flexible, personalized path to graduation for learners who have not found success at traditional schools.

In addition to helping graduation candidates overcome academic hurdles and map out their educational and career paths, Tibbs helps them deal with the real-life challenges that can derail their education — and their dreams.

One day recently, Tibbs was feeling under the weather but stayed on campus to help a young woman find a more secure home. “I’ve got a GC who’s basically living on the street. I’m trying to get her set up with someplace to live and hopefully a job,” she said. “I can’t leave until I’ve done what I can for her.”

Some learners come to school so battered by their life circumstances that they have a hard time trusting in teachers and coaches. “Being able to listen to them” is key, she says. “Once you can break down that barrier around trust issues, they gain confidence and realize there is potential for a brighter future.”

Recently, one young woman “was at a point where she said, ‘I’m done.’ ” And no wonder: She had lost vision in one eye due to degenerative eye disease. Her father had passed away. And she kept failing the state English test required for graduation.

“You can do it. Don’t give up on yourself,” Tibbs told her. After finishing her coursework and passing the test on her fourth attempt, she kept calling Tibbs to see if her diploma had arrived. “Is it there yet?”

One day, the answer came back: Yes. Tibbs could hear the soon-to-be grad shouting for joy over the phone. And when she walked into the academy to hold it in her hand, she kept repeating, “I did it. I did it.”

Tibbs, no stranger to pushing through crushing adversity to reach a goal, celebrated right alongside her.

“Even though you go through trials and tribulations, you go through them for a reason,” Tibbs says. “My life is a testimony for them to realize, ‘Keep the faith. You can make it.”

Escambia County Acceleration Academies accepts new students on a rolling basis. For more information, check out the academy web page and fill out an online enrollment form.