Today we’d like to introduce you to Annette Lee.
Hi Annette, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
As a Black teen growing up in the East Side of St. Paul I sought to attend an HBCU after having difficult High School experiences that weren’t affirming for me in MN. I sought to be around individuals who presumed my competence. I found this at Fisk University in Nashville TN- an HBCU with a powerful legacy that includes, W.E.B. DuBois, Ida B Wells, John Lewis and Diane Nash. After graduating , I realized my passion for teaching and enrolled in the Ready To Teach Program with Howard University and received y masters degree in Special Education. My mother, Jo Ann Clark saw how the HBCU experience strengthened my confidence and leadership, which inspired her to help expand access for other students through the PBC Thinking Career and College Early Fair and the annual PBC HBCU College Tour. Through this college tour, over 1100 students have attended many finding success in selecting , attending and graduating from an HBCU. I serve as the student coordinator, where I recruit students, deliver workshops on college readiness and identify resources so they can attend the tour with minimal barriers. While chairing the PBC Thinking Career and College Early fair, I was approached with the idea of HBCU Alumni coming together to fellowship. We founded the MN HBCU Alumni which promotes and serves students attending HBCUs. Today, I serve as the Student Coordinator/Co-Chair for the PBC HBCU Tour, Executive Director of MN HBCU Alumni, and GYO Supervisor for Saint Paul Public Schools. I am also a wife, mother of five, proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., church choir member, and devoted youth worker at Progressive Baptist Church.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Along the way, I have also had to balance many roles, educator, leader, wife, mother, youth worker, and community advocate. The work is meaningful, but it can also be demanding. There have been seasons of sacrifice, learning, and stretching beyond what felt comfortable. My challenges as young Black girl navigating school environments where I did not always feel affirmed or seen for my full potentialhave strengthened my commitment to creating affirming pathways for students, especially Black students, so they can access the support, confidence, and opportunities they deserve.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My professional work is centered on educator development, and creating affirming pathways for students and future teachers. I currently serve as a Grow Your Own Supervisor for Saint Paul Public Schools, where I support aspiring educators through residency and pathway programs designed to diversify and strengthen the teacher workforce.
I specialize in building programs that remove barriers and help people see what is possible for themselves. Whether I am supporting future teachers, coordinating the PBC HBCU College Tour, leading MN HBCU Alumni, or working with youth through my church, my passion is helping students and adults access spaces where they feel affirmed, prepared, and capable.
I am known for being a connector, organizer, and advocate. I bring people, institutions, and resources together to create opportunities for students and communities. I am most proud of the impact of the HBCU College Tour, which has exposed more than 1,100 students to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and of my work supporting future educators of color. I lead in the program St. Paul Urban teacher residency ( SUTR) in partnership with the university of St Thomas and we just launched cohort 11 of out Masters pathway andthis month launched our undergraduate pathway.
What sets me apart is that my work is people-centered. I do not just believe in access and belonging in theory, I know what it means to need an affirming educational space, and I have dedicated my life to creating those spaces for others. My leadership is rooted in service, faith, community, and the belief that when students are seen, supported, and presumed competent, they can thrive.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My mother, Jo Ann Clark is an award-winning East St. Paul Matriarch. My husband is my supporter of my dreams and also keeps me grounded. My father’s ambition and perseverence is inspiring.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mnhbcualum.org ( MN HBCU Alumni) www.proceedmn.org (HBCU College Tour)
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annette-lee-622b0825
