Her Story
About Anissa
Anissa S. Clay is an accomplished early childhood education leader with more than 30 years of experience dedicated to supporting children, educators, and families. She currently serves as Director of the Zelia Stevens Early Childhood Center within the College of Education at Alabama State University, where she provides leadership in early childhood programming, teacher development, literacy, curriculum implementation, and student readiness. Her career in education began in 1994 and has included significant leadership experience in Head Start. Before joining Alabama State University, Anissa served for approximately nine years as Education and Health Services Manager for Head Start in Montgomery, Alabama. In that role, she supervised approximately 140 teachers and 20 substitutes while overseeing curriculum implementation, parent engagement, budgeting, procurement, classroom support, and operational responsibilities. She also conducted verification visits to support educators working toward Child Development Associate credentials and successfully met and exceeded expectations during her first Head Start review. Anissa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Troy University, a master's degree in Elementary Education from Alabama State University, and a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from Athens State University, along with certification in educational leadership. Anissa's leadership philosophy is rooted in servant leadership, respect, trust, humility, and service to others. She serves on the board of Hopes Youth Development Services, Inc. and helps write grants supporting underserved children in Lowndes County, Alabama, while also tutoring children through the Alabama CHOOSE Act program. She has been recognized as Teacher of the Year at Peter Crump Elementary School for two consecutive years and recently received a service award from Iota Pi Lambda Sorority. Looking ahead, she hopes to establish Prestige Legacy Academy, a concept-based transition school designed to address learning gaps that emerged or intensified during the COVID era and help children build strong foundations for long-term academic success.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Anissa
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my mother. She was nurturing, supportive, and giving of herself, and those were the values I grew up around. I have tried to emulate her disposition and her willingness to give to others throughout my life. I consider myself a servant leader, and being of service to my friends, family, colleagues, and community is simply who I am. I believe I inherited that spirit of service from my mother.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I think the best career advice I have ever received is to delegate. I understand why others may have issues with sharing responsibilities because it comes with a level of trust in others. In order to feel comfortable delegating others you must have trust that they are capable and reliable enough to get the job done.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is to learn as much as you can while maintaining a spirit of fun. Learning does not have to be boring or unpleasant. Think about how you can use what you naturally have within you to build on what you are being taught. In education, we want children to have fun and enjoy their learning environment, because people are more engaged when they enjoy what they are doing.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges is the shortage of teachers and finding qualified educators to fill available positions. At our early childhood center, lead teachers are required to have a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, while auxiliary teachers need an associate's degree or a CDA in preschool. Finding individuals who meet those credential requirements has been challenging.
At the same time, there are significant opportunities in kindergarten readiness. We have an opportunity to prepare children to enter kindergarten as lifelong learners who are confident and prepared for future academic success, including eventually becoming college-ready. That foundation begins with supporting children's development during the early years.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Respect and trustworthiness are extremely important to me. I believe we have to respect everyone regardless of their job title, position, ethnicity, or background. When I walk into the building, I make a point of greeting and speaking respectfully to everyone, including the people who clean our facility. I also believe in being someone others can trust. Parents come to me and share concerns about their children because they trust that Ms. Clay will handle those matters appropriately and with care.
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