Ms. Celeste King

South Lake Elementary School Principal (retired 2025)

As the principal of South Lake Elementary School, Ms. King was a driving force behind AIM’s campaign to rebuild the school in 2020 and improve conditions at nearby Cider Mill Apartments. Ms. King had high expectations, not only for the children and staff at South Lake, but also to hold elected officials and landlords accountable.

Ms. King did what she did with audacity and heart because she believes that every child CAN succeed. She leaves behind a legacy that inspires each of us to find the ferocious voice in ourselves even when the going gets tough, especially if it concerns the well-being of children.
—Tanushree Dutta Isaacman

Reflection from Ms. King:

“South Lake was often overlooked as a community by the county because we were majority Black and Brown and we didn’t have much voting power. But with AIM, we changed that. 

At first, I was trying to find organizations to come help the community, but my goal was never to be out front as an advocate. Through listening sessions with AIM, I realized that in order to make a difference, I had to put myself out there. AIM took me out of my comfort zone from the first time they asked me to speak in public. But I’m a believer and I guess God gave me the strength to do my first 30 seconds of speaking, and I took off from there.

AIM was instrumental in giving our parents a voice because they worked with them, they found key leaders in our parent community, and they elevated them and gave them the opportunity to speak on behalf of themselves.

I also propelled the staff to get involved. I said, “You live here more than you live at home; I need your help!” So a lot of staff got invested in the development of South Lake. We went walking in the community, knocked on doors, and handed out flyers. 

We met with the County Council, and the parents came and held up signs. I called out the County Councilmembers for not paying enough attention to the South Lake community. Leaders from AIM congregations and organizations also came to support, which brought more attention to the issue.

It was the coming together of the staff and the community that made the new building happen. It wasn’t the staff separate from the community, it was all of us working side by side to get the job done.

After we finally moved into the new building, I sighed with relief and said to myself, “Look at this building. Look at what we’ve done as a community. It’s awesome. This is something the community can be proud of.”