SAMANTHA FUHREY Our 2023 Visions Community Spirit Award Winner

By Gabriel Stovall gstovall@covnews.com

Perhaps Samantha Fuhrey’s crowning moment as the Newton County School System’s 10-year superintendent was the day she found herself in the Newton County Jail.

But even then, Fuhrey wasn’t there as an inmate. She was there as the leader of the Newton County Schools. And according to NCSS board chair Shakila Henderson-Baker, it was one of the moments that defined who Fuhrey was as a leader of the district.

“We had a student who Mrs. Fuhrey was going to the high school to see, and he was a student that kept getting in trouble and found his way into the Newton County Jail,”

Henderson-Baker said. “Mrs. Fuhrey went over there to pay a personal visit to the student. You don’t get superintendents to do that. Nobody told her to do that.”

But that’s just one example. Henderson-Baker went on to share another story about how Fuhrey went above and beyond her job description to show that her desire to impact Newton County students was, indeed, bigger than a job description.

“There’s a current student who was about to drop out was way behind,” she continued. “The family couldn’t support that student like they wanted to. Mrs. Fuhrey went to this young man’s house. Visited him and encouraged him. This young man is now on track to graduate from NCSS. But not only will he graduate. He’ll graduate with a high school diploma and a welding certification. So he’ll have the opportunity to leave graduate high school and move right into having a good-paying job.”

To be sure, Henderson-Baker could’ve pulled a few more anecdotes out of her arsenal. But there’s only one real reason why she took the time to share those stories.

“Trey Bailey, one of our board members, said ‘People don’t get to see all sides of Samantha Fuhrey,’” Hender- son-Baker said. “And he’s right. They don’t. But those are the kinds of stories the community doesn’t hear. Those are the parts of who she is that the community doesn’t get to see.”

It’s also the part of her job as superintendent that she enjoyed — and now will miss — the most.

When Fuhrey made the decision back in March to step down from her position as school superintendent, it was a tearful, emotionally-charged scene. And, she acknowledged, that even up until the moment it came out of her mouth, she still wasn’t all the way sure.

“I really did struggle with it up until the moment I said it,” Fuhrey said, referencing that March 15 school board meeting where she publicly announced her retirement. “And even now, I’m still kind of struggling with it.”

That’s because Fuhrey, beyond her 10-year stint in charge of NCSS, has been a staple in the county’s educational scene.

She’s served a total of 31 years in multiple capacities, starting her career as a teacher and literally touching just about every aspect of educational life in NCSS over the years. But these last 10 years, for Henderson-Baker and others on the board, were particularly special.

“From the moment I seconded the nomination to approve you, I don’t regret it,” she said. “I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to have seen and worked with a superintendent like you who truly tries to serve the community and the students.”

Now, as Fuhrey transitions after the 2022-23 school year, she’s going to continue finding ways to serve Newton County students, she says. She’s going to continue stay close to the community and she’s going to keep finding ways to scratch that education itch that she’s sure won’t go away anytime soon.

In fact, even as she’s getting set for her exit, she’s still working on initiatives that will ensure the success of NCSS in cutting edge technologies even after she’s gone.

“Even as I’m preparing to disembark, I am also embarking on another journey with our team,” Fuhrey said. “We’ve assembled an artificial intelligence team led by Dr. Tim Schmidt, and we’re looking at how to see how we can use artificial intelligence to support teachers in the work that they do and how to integrate AI into the programing that we have so that kids who are interested in it will have a great pathway.”

The reason why she’s doing it reflects on her absolute love for the Newton County community.

Born in Virginia to a military family — her father served — Fuhrey has literally traveled and lived all over the nation and world following her father’s military career. She later settled in Pennsylvania for a while with her husband before moving to Georgia due to an interest in a manufacturing business in the metro Atlanta area.

“We came to check out the area and never left,” Fuhrey said. “We started our lives here, and found this area to be a place that’s very different than the hustle and bustle we were accustomed to. It’s shifting a bit now, but that feel is still here. We’ve been here ever since, and it feels great.”

Now, it’s the relationships she’s built over the years here, in addition to just a good-natured feeling the community gives, that keeps her glued to the county.

“I already have people saying, ‘Now that you’re retiring, why don’t you serve on this and serve on that,’ and I’m saying, ‘Just let me have five minutes to breathe,’” she said with a laugh.

But don’t count on that break being much longer. After she catches a breather, she’s going to be back to doing what she loves — education and the Newton County community.

“I’m not saying I’ll never leave, but my whole life up until moving here was a series of moving,” she said. “So it’s nice to be able to be somewhere and be planted and have so many ties and relationships that keep you going.”

And while she doesn’t have direct say-so on who the district’s next superintendent will be, she does have an idea of what a successful incumbent should look like.

“This school system needs someone who is willing to invest their time, their knowledge, their skills and commitment,” she said. “Continuity in education is incredibly important. This is a place where there are so many opportunities that they have to be a good relationship builder. They’ve got to be trustworthy. They have to show that through actions and deeds. And they’ve got to be dedicated, love kids and love the work.

Even if it takes you to the county jail.

“This has never been a stepping stone job for me,” she said. “I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve our community in the way that I’ve served them over the years. No one on this planet has been perfect. I know I’ve stepped in a pothole or two, but it’s never been intentional. You learn from it and move forward. But it has been my honor and privilege to serve 10 years as the CEO of this great organization, and I’m grateful to have had the time I’ve had to be able to do the work that I love so much.”