Jameka Walker

Jameka Walker is the executive director of Catholic Partnership Schools (CPS), a network of five pre-K through eighth-grade schools providing educational opportunities for children of all faith backgrounds in Camden, N.J., and the surrounding areas. In the face of poverty and violence, Walker has taken it as her mission to educate the whole child by providing a safe environment where students can learn and teachers are empowered to discover the instructional methods that work best for their classrooms. The results are evident: CPS’ students go on to achieve a 99% high school graduation rate, and 87% go on to college..

“The term I have been using to describe her is ‘a force,’” says student ambassador Ryan Maloney ’24 CLAS. When Ryan visited the Catholic Partnership Schools in early June 2023, he was immediately impressed by how engaged the students were—a testament to Walker’s philosophy of meeting the students where they are on their journeys. “Walker has created a culture that celebrates what students are bringing to the table,” Ryan says. “The educators at Catholic Partnership Schools are focused on nurturing God’s gifts in every child and entering every situation with compassion.”