Swainsboro native excelling in Athens

Stephen Nobles is a 1999 graduate of Swainsboro High School. After high school, he attended the University of Georgia and Valdosta State University. Stephen currently resides in Athens, Georgia, where he is employed with the Clarke County School District.

While growing up in Swainsboro, Stephen became an avid reader at an early age. He credits his mother with instilling his thirst and hunger for reading. Reading became a passion, bridging the gap between his small-town environment, which mostly included sports, to becoming his full-time passion. Reading allowed Stephen to venture on trips and visit places without ever leaving his home.

As he became addicted to reading, he couldn’t understand why others didn’t share the same passion. He learned that there were factors that impacted others’ desires other than that they didn’t enjoy reading. Thus, the seed was planted, which became the foundation of his career.

Stephen Nobles is an educator, storyteller, and community leader dedicated to amplifying student voice and empowering the next generation of changemakers. He serves as a district leader in education for Clarke County School District, where he supports schools in strengthening leadership, innovation, and student-centered practices.

Stephen is a TED Speaker, the Lead Organizer of TEDx CCSD Youth, and leads the TED-Ed Student Talks program, helping students develop and deliver powerful talks that share bold ideas with the world.

He is also the creator of the YouTube series, StoryTime With Mr. Stephen, a platform that brings stories to life to inspire a love of words, books, and reading in students, families, and educators.

Through every platform, Stephen’s mission remains the same: to help people find their voice, share their story, create meaningful impact, and be more than the world thinks of them.

Stephen says he became an educator because, “In short, I came into education because I wanted young people to see that where they start doesn’t have to determine where they finish”

Below are a few quotes and thoughts from Stephen.

“A Young Person’s Voice Changes When They Realize It Matters”

“Every student carries ideas, observations, questions, and stories worth developing”.

Stephen creates the space for young people to explore those ideas, find the words to express them, and build the confidence to share them. Through literacy, conversation, storytelling, and public speaking, he helps students move from simply having an idea to understanding why their perspective deserves attention.

That process is about more than becoming a stronger reader or speaker. It is about curiosity, self-expression, and helping young people see themselves as contributors to the conversations happening in their classrooms, schools, communities, and beyond.

TED acronym stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design. These were the primary subjects discussed at the first conference in 1984. TED has expanded to include many more topics.

TEDx expands the program to allow local schools and communities to operate independent conferences.

Ted Ed is the youth and education-based initiative.

Visit Stephen’s website to find out more about him and his work.

TED