Meet Judellia Cole ‘99. Judellia came to EHS as the first Black female NYC Better Chance Scholar.
Since graduating from Episcopal, Judellia graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English Literature and a Minor in Theatre Performance from Norfolk State University. Judellia shined as a writer and a scholar accumulating multiple awards and accolades including being named a Presidential Scholar, a Ford Motor Scholar, and the title of Ms. NSU Honors College. She would also go on to be inducted into the Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society, the elite Golden Key International Honor Society, and the coveted Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. Ultimately, she left her own historic mark at NSU as the first woman in the institution’s history to be awarded the prestigious Benjamin Gilman International Scholarship, leading her to London to study literature and hone her writing craft.
Upon returning stateside, Judellia headed to her father’s home of New Orleans and received her MSW from Tulane University. Marrying the arts and social services, Judellia has sat on the founding Board of Directors for the StarLight Foundation, an award winning performing arts non-profit which serviced underprivileged and at risk youth in Virginia Beach. She would also serve as a Project Coordinator and GED English Instructor at the YEP foundation, a non-profit organization in New Orleans, offering free GED testing, vocational training, and job preparedness.
Currently, Ms Cole is a school Social Worker and Adolescent Therapist plus a “super auntie” to her 16 year old niece. After contributing work to various literary anthologies, Judellia is most excited about completing her first publication, a self-esteem building workbook for African-American girls.