June 1, 2026 • 6 mins
The best teacher pipeline might already be sitting in the school library. We’re recording from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at the SCABSE conference, and our guest Eboni Amaker makes a powerful case for why school support roles like media clerk are packed with untapped educator talent.
Website: spotlight4success.com
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:06):
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book
Company.
I am Devin Pentozia, your host.
We are here in partly cloudy,South Carolina.
We are in Myrtle Beach.
It's a wonderful day outside.
We are here at the SCAVSEconference, and we are here with
our special guest, Ebony Amiker.
Ebony is joining us from uh sheis a media clerk uh at uh
(00:30):
Picalia Springs in Sumter SchoolDistrict.
Uh so uh thank you for joiningus today.
SPEAKER_01 (00:37):
Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_00 (00:38):
Great.
So can you tell us what bringsyou here today to ScabSe?
SPEAKER_01 (00:43):
Um I am here today as a part of a wonderful group.
Um the Epic Apprenticeship isran by the EPI Center, um, and
it helps you, it helps a bunchof people who are already in the
district proceed to um advancingtheir career goals of becoming
teachers.
So um, like you mentioned, I'm amedia clerk at an elementary
(01:04):
school, but my goal is to be inmy own classroom, and this
program helps me um to achievethat goal.
SPEAKER_00 (01:11):
Oh, that's great.
SPEAKER_01 (01:12):
And this conference has been amazing.
Have you seen?
It's just been beautiful.
SPEAKER_00 (01:15):
It's been a oh, there's so many things going on
here.
Well, what was there was theresomething in particular here at
Scabsy?
You're like, wow, it was such afantastic takeaway.
SPEAKER_01 (01:23):
Um, well, the main thing for me is that uh
everybody here is so welcoming.
Everybody here is so eager andso energetic.
It's not one of thoseconferences where you're sitting
in seminars and you're just youknow nodding off.
Um everyone that I've attended,every session I've attended has
been um completely amazing.
It's been very informative, andI've just I've enjoyed every
(01:45):
aspect of it, even down to thevendors that are here.
The vendors are amazing as well.
SPEAKER_00 (01:49):
Oh, that's fantastic.
Um Ebony, so uh tell me a bitabout your your role there as a
media clerk at the elementaryschool.
SPEAKER_01 (01:58):
Um as a media clerk, I don't get to do as much.
Of course, I have the role ofhaving to check in the books,
check them out, make sure thateverything's um in order as far
as the shelves go.
I'm also in control of doing theIDs and Chromebook um text for
the teachers as well as thestudents.
(02:19):
So that can become a littlehectic at times because these
kids do not know how to handletheir electronics.
But um it's it's pretty good,it's pretty smooth-selling, and
I and I do enjoy it.
I um I'm a bookworm.
So in my downtime, I get to it'sa little bit nostalgic to be
able to pick up those books thatI remember reading in elementary
(02:39):
or to help another student.
Like, I don't know what to read.
Um, I got one for you.
So that's the best part of it tome is helping the kids find what
we call the just right book forthem, and to see the incitement
on their face when they comeback the next week and they're
like, I finished it, or I knowwhat happened, or is there a
second book?
So that's like um one of thegreatest takeaways I have as a
(03:00):
media clerk there.
SPEAKER_00 (03:01):
Gosh, Ebony, that sounds great.
Do you have uh um uh somethinguh special that's happened
recently?
You're like wow, this is why Igot into get starting getting
started in the schools and uhlooking at a potential teaching
career as well.
SPEAKER_01 (03:15):
Um not necessarily.
Honestly, I did not realize thatI could make an impact until
being approached with the EPI umby the EPI Center.
Um they helped me realize thatyou know what, this is it could
be possible for you.
Like you could actually do that,and it motivated me to get into
(03:37):
that classroom to reach kids ona different level.
Um, because I only get 45minutes with them in the
library.
So being able to reach out andactually have that one-on-one
time or be able to get to knowindividual students on another
level, um, it it's amazing tome.
So being approached um by thedistrict with this opportunity
(03:58):
is what really opened my eyes tosaying, you know what, you may,
this might just be it for you.
SPEAKER_00 (04:03):
So Ebony, can you tell us a bit more about what
the uh Epic Center does, the EPICenter?
Epic.
SPEAKER_01 (04:10):
Yeah, well the EPI Center it stands for the Center
of Excellence for EducatorPreparation and Innovation.
Um there's a bunch of differentprograms that they have.
Um, the one that I'm a part ofis the Epic Apprenticeship.
Um, that stands for EducatorsPrepared to Impact the
Community.
Um, and that's what drew me tothem.
They meet people who alreadywork in the district or in the
(04:33):
schools, um, and they help youwherever you are to obtain the
goal of getting your teachercertification.
SPEAKER_00 (04:39):
Nice.
SPEAKER_01 (04:39):
Um, me, I have the associates, but I don't have a
bachelor's, so they haveactually partnered with Worhees
and I am getting my bachelor's.
I have a colleague.
Oh, thank you, thank you, thankyou.
I'm doing pretty good.
Not that you asked, but I'mdoing really bad.
Um I have another colleague whoalready had the has her
bachelor's.
She had took some sessions andshe passed a practice on her
(05:01):
very first try.
Wow.
So they give you um justanything that you you could
pretty much need to jump overthose hurdles, those everyday
life-to-life hurdles.
And like I said, they they workwith ones that are already in
the district, so you have thatdrive, that passion already.
But you're able to work andobtain your so it doesn't you
(05:22):
don't have to stop what you'redoing to get where you want to
go.
Um, so I do appreciate thataspect of um the Epic
apprenticeship.
And um, they also work withteachers who are already
certified through their Impactprogram as well.
So it's just it's just amazing.
SPEAKER_00 (05:37):
That's wonderful.
Is there a website for Epic?
SPEAKER_01 (05:41):
Um, you could visit them on Facebook at the
EpiCenter, um, and all theirinformation and contact
information is there.
Um, shout out to our CEO, Dr.
High Tao Mitchell.
She is an amazing woman, and Ido want to say thank you to all
the staff and Falconsy at theEPI Center.
They are amazing.
They're they're just the best.
SPEAKER_00 (06:01):
Oh, that's so wonderful.
Well, um uh thank you so much.
It's wonderful speaking withyou, uh Ebony Hamaker, and uh
and you're over there at SumterDistrict School District.
Um, thank you so much forjoining us today.
SPEAKER_01 (06:14):
No problem.
Thank you for having me.
You guys have a wonderful,wonderful day.
SPEAKER_00 (06:17):
You too.
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book
Company.
I am Devin Pentozia, your host.
We are here in partly cloudy,South Carolina.
We are in Myrtle Beach.
It's a wonderful day outside.
We are here at the SCAVSEconference, and we are here with
our special guest, Ebony Amiker.
Ebony is joining us from uh sheis a media clerk uh at uh
(00:30):
Picalia Springs in Sumter SchoolDistrict.
Uh so uh thank you for joiningus today.
SPEAKER_01 (00:37):
Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_00 (00:38):
Great.
So can you tell us what bringsyou here today to ScabSe?
SPEAKER_01 (00:43):
Um I am here today as a part of a wonderful group.
Um the Epic Apprenticeship isran by the EPI Center, um, and
it helps you, it helps a bunchof people who are already in the
district proceed to um advancingtheir career goals of becoming
teachers.
So um, like you mentioned, I'm amedia clerk at an elementary
(01:04):
school, but my goal is to be inmy own classroom, and this
program helps me um to achievethat goal.
SPEAKER_00 (01:11):
Oh, that's great.
SPEAKER_01 (01:12):
And this conference has been amazing.
Have you seen?
It's just been beautiful.
SPEAKER_00 (01:15):
It's been a oh, there's so many things going on
here.
Well, what was there was theresomething in particular here at
Scabsy?
You're like, wow, it was such afantastic takeaway.
SPEAKER_01 (01:23):
Um, well, the main thing for me is that uh
everybody here is so welcoming.
Everybody here is so eager andso energetic.
It's not one of thoseconferences where you're sitting
in seminars and you're just youknow nodding off.
Um everyone that I've attended,every session I've attended has
been um completely amazing.
It's been very informative, andI've just I've enjoyed every
(01:45):
aspect of it, even down to thevendors that are here.
The vendors are amazing as well.
SPEAKER_00 (01:49):
Oh, that's fantastic.
Um Ebony, so uh tell me a bitabout your your role there as a
media clerk at the elementaryschool.
SPEAKER_01 (01:58):
Um as a media clerk, I don't get to do as much.
Of course, I have the role ofhaving to check in the books,
check them out, make sure thateverything's um in order as far
as the shelves go.
I'm also in control of doing theIDs and Chromebook um text for
the teachers as well as thestudents.
(02:19):
So that can become a littlehectic at times because these
kids do not know how to handletheir electronics.
But um it's it's pretty good,it's pretty smooth-selling, and
I and I do enjoy it.
I um I'm a bookworm.
So in my downtime, I get to it'sa little bit nostalgic to be
able to pick up those books thatI remember reading in elementary
(02:39):
or to help another student.
Like, I don't know what to read.
Um, I got one for you.
So that's the best part of it tome is helping the kids find what
we call the just right book forthem, and to see the incitement
on their face when they comeback the next week and they're
like, I finished it, or I knowwhat happened, or is there a
second book?
So that's like um one of thegreatest takeaways I have as a
(03:00):
media clerk there.
SPEAKER_00 (03:01):
Gosh, Ebony, that sounds great.
Do you have uh um uh somethinguh special that's happened
recently?
You're like wow, this is why Igot into get starting getting
started in the schools and uhlooking at a potential teaching
career as well.
SPEAKER_01 (03:15):
Um not necessarily.
Honestly, I did not realize thatI could make an impact until
being approached with the EPI umby the EPI Center.
Um they helped me realize thatyou know what, this is it could
be possible for you.
Like you could actually do that,and it motivated me to get into
(03:37):
that classroom to reach kids ona different level.
Um, because I only get 45minutes with them in the
library.
So being able to reach out andactually have that one-on-one
time or be able to get to knowindividual students on another
level, um, it it's amazing tome.
So being approached um by thedistrict with this opportunity
(03:58):
is what really opened my eyes tosaying, you know what, you may,
this might just be it for you.
SPEAKER_00 (04:03):
So Ebony, can you tell us a bit more about what
the uh Epic Center does, the EPICenter?
Epic.
SPEAKER_01 (04:10):
Yeah, well the EPI Center it stands for the Center
of Excellence for EducatorPreparation and Innovation.
Um there's a bunch of differentprograms that they have.
Um, the one that I'm a part ofis the Epic Apprenticeship.
Um, that stands for EducatorsPrepared to Impact the
Community.
Um, and that's what drew me tothem.
They meet people who alreadywork in the district or in the
(04:33):
schools, um, and they help youwherever you are to obtain the
goal of getting your teachercertification.
SPEAKER_00 (04:39):
Nice.
SPEAKER_01 (04:39):
Um, me, I have the associates, but I don't have a
bachelor's, so they haveactually partnered with Worhees
and I am getting my bachelor's.
I have a colleague.
Oh, thank you, thank you, thankyou.
I'm doing pretty good.
Not that you asked, but I'mdoing really bad.
Um I have another colleague whoalready had the has her
bachelor's.
She had took some sessions andshe passed a practice on her
(05:01):
very first try.
Wow.
So they give you um justanything that you you could
pretty much need to jump overthose hurdles, those everyday
life-to-life hurdles.
And like I said, they they workwith ones that are already in
the district, so you have thatdrive, that passion already.
But you're able to work andobtain your so it doesn't you
(05:22):
don't have to stop what you'redoing to get where you want to
go.
Um, so I do appreciate thataspect of um the Epic
apprenticeship.
And um, they also work withteachers who are already
certified through their Impactprogram as well.
So it's just it's just amazing.
SPEAKER_00 (05:37):
That's wonderful.
Is there a website for Epic?
SPEAKER_01 (05:41):
Um, you could visit them on Facebook at the
EpiCenter, um, and all theirinformation and contact
information is there.
Um, shout out to our CEO, Dr.
High Tao Mitchell.
She is an amazing woman, and Ido want to say thank you to all
the staff and Falconsy at theEPI Center.
They are amazing.
They're they're just the best.
SPEAKER_00 (06:01):
Oh, that's so wonderful.
Well, um uh thank you so much.
It's wonderful speaking withyou, uh Ebony Hamaker, and uh
and you're over there at SumterDistrict School District.
Um, thank you so much forjoining us today.
SPEAKER_01 (06:14):
No problem.
Thank you for having me.
You guys have a wonderful,wonderful day.
SPEAKER_00 (06:17):
You too.
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