My name is Jessica Vaughn and I am currently a candidate for Hillsborough County School Board District 3. As a 39-year Tampa resident, I am also the proud product of the Hillsborough Country School system. After attending Gaither High School, I obtained my diploma in 1995. I went on to graduate from the University of South Florida in 2010 with my bachelor’s degree in education. After a few years of teaching in the classroom, my son Zachariah (the love of my life) was born and I switched to working as a substitute teaching so that I could have a more flexible schedule, while also remaining in the classroom and engaging with students. Since working as a substitute teacher, I have had the honor of experiencing a plethora of different classrooms settings, a variety of diverse schools and I have engaged with an assortment of students, teachers and support staff. I love the diversified experiences that my career as a substitute teacher has given me for the past six years.
When I am not in the classroom; I divide my time between my family, my duty as an elected C.D.D board member and my passion for educating and organizing within my community. I also produce a local podcast which is geared towards connecting voters with our local candidates and focuses on educating voters about the local issues which impact us all.
As a member of the New Tampa community, I have been a Tampa Palms resident for ten years, where I live with my husband; my seven-year-old son and our two dogs. For the past three years, I have served as an elected member of my C.D.D board, where we manage a five-million-dollar budget.