Beloved St. Louis Teacher Surprised with $10k and an Unforgettable Spring Break Getaway to Kalahari Resorts!
February 22, 2023
Jennifer Hudson had surprise after surprise in store for a beloved teacher!
Jennifer’s first surprise for 2nd Grade teacher Shumsheia Johnson was bringing her down to the “Jennifer Hudson Show” stage!
Ms. Johnson, as her students know her, teaches at Jackson Park Elementary in St. Louis, Missouri. She’s been teaching for 24 years and recently wrote in to “The Jennifer Hudson Show.” “I wanted you to give a word to our kiddos, they face so much,” she told JHud of why she wrote to the show.
“We were hit with some of the worst flooding we have ever seen,” she said of her community. “All those babies who were coming off of COVID and all the trauma of that, a lot of our kids were displaced. We have children who are living with relatives.
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View Story“I just wanted you to give them a sense of hope,” she told JHud. “If [you] could just show up and tell them, ‘You know what, you got this, you can do this,’ that would mean the world to them, just to have someone say, ‘It got bad, but it gets better.’”
Ms. Johnson told JHud that she would do anything for her students. “Although God gave me one biological child, I have 15 current students. They are my babies. They are mine,” she said.
“Whatever they need, if I’ve got it, I’m gonna give it. If I don’t have it, I’m gonna figure it out between my family, the school district, whoever — we’re gonna give it to them.”
The next surprise came when JHud showed a video compilation of Ms. Johnson’s students, both present and past, thanking her for being such a wonderful teacher.
“You help me with everything I need help with,” said one student.
“Thank you for helping me with my math. You’re the best math teacher ever,” said another.
“You made second grade one of the best times I ever had,” said a former student. “You also made me want to come to school every single day.”
Ms. Johnson was moved to tears by the video, but the tears really started to flow when JHud and Kalahari Resorts presented a $10,000 check for her school!
There was yet ANOTHER surprise for Ms. Johnson: JHud and Kalahari Resorts, Home to America’s Largest Indoor Waterparks, gifted her and her daughter to a Kalahari Resort for an unforgettable Spring Break!
We could all use a getaway this Spring Break! With locations in Wisconsin, Ohio, Texas, and Pennsylvania Kalahari Resorts provide an all-under-one-roof experience that the whole family can enjoy.
Make your Spring Break reservation today, and make more memories with Kalahari Resorts and Conventions by visiting KalahariResorts.com.
“The Jennifer Hudson Show” airs weekdays. Here’s when to watch in your area.
