Teacher Feature: Robyn Mullis Becoming a Principal

Usually a teacher is featured each month in this regular “Teacher Feature,” but Jasper County High School has a new principal, Robyn Mullis, and many students, parents, and others will be interested in getting to know her.

Mrs. Mullis is a native of Dublin, Ga. Her parents both worked at J.P. Stevens textile mill. Her father worked the second shift and farmed during the day. When Robyn was only 10 years old, her father died while bailing hay on their farm. Her mother continued to work at Stevens to support the family.

“My mother raised me to be independent, to think and decide for myself.” And decide she did, as a young girl she observed her two aunts who were teachers and she decided early in her life to be a teacher. So much did she want to teach that she would get the leftover ditto sheets at school to “play” school over the summer.

In 1982, she graduated from Dublin High School as an honor student. She was able to attend college with college loans, first attaining an associate degree from Brewton Parker College in Mount Vernon. While at Brewton Parker, she served as a youth director and realized that young people need individuals in the classroom that could relate to them and serve as a good role model.

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“I truly wanted to make a difference in the lives of the students.”

Mrs. Mullis learned after she had decided to pursue a career in teaching that her mother had always wanted to be a teacher. Although her mother had never been able to attend college and become a teacher, she was very proud that her daughter was able to live out her dream when she graduated in 1987 from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in math education.

After graduation, Mrs. Mullis taught Algebra I, III and geometry at Jonesboro High School in Clayton County from 1987 to 1991. Continuing to teach various math courses at several high schools in the Atlanta area while also continuing her education, she became an assistant principal at Forest Park High School in 1999.

With a master’s degree in math education and many educational courses related to becoming a principal, Mrs. Mullis became the principal of Union Grove Middle School in 2004 where she served until 2009 when she became the first principal of the new Locust Grove High School.

And in 2012, she became the new principal of Jasper County High School. She had paid her dues, traveled many miles, burned plenty of midnight oil to get here.

Her husband, John, a teacher at Mercer University and she moved to Monticello eight years ago, because at the time it was halfway between their jobs as he was working in Milledgeville and she in Locust Grove. They love the area and she feels fortunate to be a large part of the community now as the principal of the county high school.

Although Mrs. Mullis never had any children of her own, she has been involved with thousands of young people’s lives during her last 25 years in school systems.

In her spare time, what little there is, Mrs. Mullis enjoys reading John Grisham’s books, watching mysteries on television and relaxing with a nice walk with her dogs. Although the couple has not been able to vacation in a couple of years, she hopes they get to return to a favorite, Cozumel, Mexico.

Her philosophy is based on the Serenity Prayer, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” As a principal, she wants to be known for her firmness, fairness and consistency, She wants to be open with parents, staff, students and community members.

“Student safety, learning, and achievement should always be our top priorities. I hope we can continue to improve in communicating with the community. I have very high expectations for our school as well as for myself.”

Mrs. Mullis is certainly not resting on her past laurels as she is currently attending the University of Georgia in the evening to attain a PhD in Educational Administration and Policy.

Best of luck and welcome to Hurricane Country, Principal Robyn Mullis!