Scattering Kindness

For two decades, T.R. Simmons school counselor Cathy Jones has taught her students the importance of spreading kindness and celebrating diversity.

Words by Anna Lee Vaughn | Images by Ryan McGill

Above the entrance to her classroom, Cathy Jones boldly displays a powerful message in large block letters: "Scatter Kindness." It's not just a slogan for Cathy; it's a guiding principle that shapes her life, counseling, and impact on the students of T.R. Simmons Elementary School.

Cathy grew up in the bustling city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. At age ten, she found herself under the care of her grandmother as her parents, Jose and Maria Cumagun, embarked on the journey to the United States to pursue the Green Card process.

Cathy's mother, a physician, initially worked in New York for six years. Later, she sought to make a difference by serving in the underserved community of Evergreen, Alabama, where Cathy joined her at age 16 to complete her senior year of high school.

Originally planning to return to New York after Maria's three-year service in Evergreen, the Cumagun family unexpectedly fell in love with the charm of small-town living: Cathy reminisces, "We just loved how small and friendly Evergreen was, and we knew everybody. My mom said that compared to New York, it was much more personable, and we enjoyed it a lot, so we ended up staying here."

After graduating from Sparta Academy in Evergreen, Cathy furthered her education at Jefferson Davis Community College before transferring to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Initially on the pre-med track with aspirations of becoming a pediatrician, Cathy's path took a turn after a transformative psychology class.

"I always knew I wanted to work with kids, but I took a psychology class and fell in love with it. My husband was studying to become a teacher, and I saw his passion for it. Immediately, I thought about changing my career choice." Cathy continues, "I thought pediatrics was the way. But when I learned I could counsel kids, I thought I'd rather go that route than give kids vaccines."

Cathy earned a master's degree in School Counseling from UAB and soon began her first job as the School Counselor at T.R. Simmons Elementary School in Jasper. In May 2024, Cathy will celebrate her 20th anniversary at T.R. Simmons. Over the past two decades, her mission statement, "scatter kindness," has been simple but effective.

Serving students in Pre-K through first grade, Cathy leads the Kind Vikes Club, encouraging the children to participate in acts of kindness. In her classroom, she interacts with students through bibliotherapy, the arts, and several class pets: fish, axolotis, a guinea pig, and the facility dog, Hobbs. They are especially fond of the class puppet, Spunky the Monkey, to whom Cathy says all her students can relate.

Cathy's interactions with students extend beyond the classroom, conducting group guidance sessions and individual counseling for those dealing with grief, encouraging them to create memory boxes. Various kindness activities, which she describes as community service for young children, further highlight her commitment to holistic student development.

Cathy strongly emphasizes celebrating diversity and differences, drawing from her experiences adapting to a new culture and language when she first moved to the States.

"I think it's helped me because we have a lot of English language learners here at the school. So, I always tell my mom, Well, maybe it was God's blessing that I got to experience that because now I know what these kids go through," she says. "It was hard at first, especially being a senior in high school, but I think it was a blessing in disguise. I met my husband here in the United States and found a career I'm passionate about." 

From growing up in the Philippines to moving to the United States, Cathy has worked to blend cultural differences while preserving cherished traditions. Though she learned English in the Philippines, using it conversationally was an adjustment, as her thought processes were still in her native language, Tagalog. Cathy grew up without running hot water, and because the Philippines relied heavily on public transportation, she had to learn to drive as a senior in high school.

Nonetheless, these cultural changes have inspired Cathy and her husband, Don, to travel the world, learning about other places and cultures. Their favorite places include Bosnia, South Korea, and South Africa, though the pair have been to over 100 countries.

Cathy remains connected to her Filipino roots, upholding traditions such as 'Noche Buena' celebrating Christmas at midnight with traditional Filipino dishes like a noodle dish called pancit. Acknowledging the significance of cultural diversity, Cathy endeavors to instill in her students the importance of embracing different cultures and learning from one another while also learning from her students and their families daily. As always, each lesson is infused with kindness.

"It's really rewarding. At this age, they're so innocent and happy with little things, yet so resilient, and I really enjoy that," she says. "My thing is kindness, and I have that displayed all over my classroom. The kids know our guidance rules: taste your words before you speak them, and scatter kindness wherever you can.” 78