From 1995 to 1997, Jovan Jones lived in a South Indian ashram and traveled around with a Hindu guru. She earned her MA in Political Science from Harvard in 1998. Soon thereafter, she moved to North Carolina in order to be near her parents, Ryven and Brenda, and to raise her son, Isaiah. She taught Social Studies and Language Arts in Cumberland Countys public schools, where she was chosen to be the countys Teacher of the Year and NCs Southeast Regional Teacher of the Year Runner-Up. Presently, she serves as the Mentor Facilitator in the large public school system, working with mentors and beginning teachers to increase teacher retention and efficacy.