Pine Bluff teacher featured on NBC’s ‘Today’ show

August 23, 2023 at 11:02 p.m.

by I.C. Murrell

Pine Bluff Junior High Ninth-Grade Academy TyKesha Cross poses with former Dollarway High principal Yolanda Prim during Prim's surprise visit to the campus on the first day of school Aug. 16. The visit was part of a story that aired Aug. 23, 2023, on NBC's "Today" show. (Special to The Commercial/NBC News)
Pine Bluff Junior High Ninth-Grade Academy TyKesha Cross poses with former Dollarway High principal Yolanda Prim during Prim's surprise visit to the campus on the first day of school Aug. 16. The visit was part of a story that aired Aug. 23, 2023, on NBC's "Today" show. (Special to The Commercial/NBC News)


TyKesha Cross’ long road to becoming a certified business teacher in the Pine Bluff School District was featured Wednesday morning on NBC’s “Today” show.

Cross was reunited with Yolanda Prim, a former principal who gave Cross her first opportunity in education as a substitute teacher in the former Dollarway School District after she lost her job. Cross was a substitute teacher for two years before being hired full-time at then-Dollarway High School in 2019.

She recently earned full teacher certification from the Arkansas Teacher Corps, a partnership of the University of Arkansas, the Arkansas Department of Education and public school districts in the state.

Earning full certification was “a dream come true,” Cross said, becoming emotional. “Promise kept. It was a promise kept.”

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