Tondalayo Clark
Tondalayo Clark is a dedicated educator with over two decades of teaching experience in Goldsboro, North Carolina. She currently serves as a high school English teacher for 9th and 10th grades at Wayne Preparatory High School and, in this school year, also leads the journalism and yearbook class. She has devoted her career to helping students understand their potential and their responsibility to their communities. Inspired by her mother, an intellectual property law administrative specialist at IBM, Tondalayo embraced the values of professionalism, respect, and responsibility from an early age, shaping her approach to teaching and leadership. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Interdisciplinary Studies from Bennett College and has pursued additional courses independently to deepen her knowledge and expertise.
Throughout her career, Tondalayo has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to student growth, literacy, and civic awareness. Since 2002, she has consistently invited veterans, including her neighbor, a Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient, to speak to her students, providing firsthand lessons in resilience, service, and overcoming adversity during challenging times such as segregation. A two-time breast cancer survivor, first diagnosed in 1998, Tondalayo brings the lessons of perseverance and strength into her classroom, encouraging students to advocate for themselves and embrace challenges as opportunities for growth. She is also an active advocate for educators, championing better pay, retirement security, step and longevity pay, and bonuses.
Beyond her classroom, Tondalayo is deeply engaged in community service. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and supports causes such as the American Cancer Society and veterans’ organizations. She believes teaching must come from a genuine desire to serve and improve communities, instilling in her students the importance of education, advocacy, and personal responsibility. Through her work, she continues to inspire young people to excel academically, contribute meaningfully to society, and embrace the values that will guide them as leaders in the communities of tomorrow.
• Bennett College - Bachelor's degree, Interdisciplinary Studies and Communications
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
• Wayne County Association of Educators
• American Cancer Society support
• Veterans advocacy and education - annual veteran speaker program since 2002
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to adversity. Those adversity experiences are what built my strength. It's not just about overcoming adversity, but learning from it. When we face adversities, we either fall into them or we overcome and learn from them. For me, I learn from it, and if someone else wants to learn from my adversity, they can take the advice or not, but I'm willing to share when someone asks. The adversities I've faced, including being a two-time breast cancer survivor first diagnosed in 1998, are what built my strength and contributed to my success.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received came from my mother, who was the first person to tell me I should teach. She worked as an intellectual property law administrative specialist at IBM and was the model of professionalism, respect, and responsibility that shaped who I am today. She instilled in me the importance of professionalism, mannerisms, being respectful, and being responsible. I saw her go to work, sometimes went with her when I was younger, and she was the person I looked up to. She shaped me to be the person I am in my profession.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
If you're considering going into the field of teaching, you have to want to teach. You have to think about your purpose for getting into the field. I know we all need a paycheck, but teaching is not something you can just decide to do like any other job. It's like being a doctor - you can't just wake up tomorrow and show up at the hospital. Every child is different, every learning style is different, so you have to make sure you know that you're here for the purpose of teaching. You're here to make the community better, because these students are the people that are going to be working out in our communities. You have to think beyond right now. Teaching must come from a genuine passion to serve and educate others, and you need to understand that it's a responsibility to help shape the future of communities through education.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Teachers have lost a lot over the years. I fought to keep retirement plans, better pay, step pay, longevity pay, and bonuses, but those things are gone now. The biggest challenge is that educators face pressure around compensation and benefits while still being expected to meet the diverse needs of every student, since every child is different and every learning style is different. Despite these challenges, the opportunity remains to make a real difference in students' lives and help shape the people who will be working in our communities in the future.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important value to me is having the will. That applies in any capacity - you don't let anything get you to the point where you want to quit. We all have that will inside us. Respect is important too, but for me, it's really about having the will to keep going no matter what challenges you face. I also believe strongly in helping young people learn to advocate for themselves and fend for themselves. I'm someone who takes the steps to help others, whether it's filing a grievance, standing up for their rights, or contacting congressional representatives. I understand that some people are nervous about losing their job or making someone mad, but I believe in teaching people how to fend for themselves.