For the third year in a row, Nury Crawford, the director of Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Community-Based Mentoring Program-Hispanic Girls Priority, has been named one of the 50 Most Influential Latinos in Georgia by the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GHCC). Crawford, who was selected from a pool of more than 300 applicants, says the honor was unexpected. “I am humbly honored that my community continues to bestow their trust in me,” Crawford said. “I hold myself accountable for the work I am assigned to lead. Empowering students and their families are both personal and professional goals for me.”  

In selecting honorees, the GHCC analyzed the character, impact, and connectivity these self-motivated leaders provide in their communities. The GHCC says Crawford, and her peers on the list, are trailblazers who have positively impacted the state of Georgia and exemplify the art of leading people, places, and moments in history.

Crawford adds, “I feel a huge amount of gratitude to our superintendent and school board for their support. As an immigrant myself, I can directly relate to many of the students I serve. I see myself in them and I see my own parents in their parents. I will continue to go above and beyond every day to always do what’s best for our children.”

Crawford launched the Hispanic focus of the district’s Community-Based Mentoring Program in January of 2019. Through her work, she recruits, trains, supports, and retains mentors who work with identified Hispanic students in Gwinnett County Public Schools. She also works with the students and their parents, providing support and resources to help students develop personally, socially, and academically.