The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.
Photos by Jabari Clyburn
About Me
Hi Dr. Fry! Thanks for taking the time learn a little about me. I’ve been looking forward to our conversation from the moment I applied. Can’t wait to meet you!
Jabari Clyburn
University of South Carolina Graduate Columbia, SC 843.229.7226
jabariclyburn@gmail.com
I’m the current communications coordinator for South Carolina First Steps, the state’s only dedicated agency that serves young children ages birth to five. I was born and raised in the small town of Hartsville, SC. After high school, I enrolled at the University of South Carolina where I graduated with a degree in Media Arts. Between my first and second year of college, I joined the United States Army Reserve. As an Army reservist, I proudly serve as a mass communications specialist.
My time with SC First Steps has sharpened the skills I learned in college and extended the foundation of my unique military training. Serving as a U.S. Army Reservist I’ve gained many intangible qualities such as duty, respect, honor, and integrity. Additionally, my strong IT background has consistently complimented my communication skills and gives me a competitive edge over my peers.
I’m excited to speak with you about why I feel I’d be a great fit for the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs
MILITARY EXPERIENCE
Photo by Jabari Clyburn
Social Media Management
FACEBOOK - AREA SUPPORT GROUP-BLACK SEA
Managed November 2020-July 2021
INSTAGRAM- @ASG_BLACKSEA
Created and managed November 2020-July 2021
As the public affairs officer in charge of the U.S. Forces’ communications in Bulgaria, Romania and Greece I managed the command’s Facebook account. During my supervision, I created a communications strategy that established an Instagram account. Scan the QR codes to check out the content!
X E R C I S E
UTO SING
VO SELO TRAINING
EA, Bulgaria Soldiers from Battalion, 5th Cavalry iment, 1st Armored Brigade mbat Team, 1st Cavalry sion rallied alongside the garian Tank Platoon, 61st k Battalion to execute joint e exercise Pluto Rising here, March 18
Meticulously planned, Pluto Rising highlighted the interoperable capabilities between the United States and Bulgarian land forces By design, the exercise deliberately challenged their ability to routinely act together to efficiently achieve tactical, operational, and strategic objectives
“We started planning for Pluto Rising back in September before we arrived here in Europe,” said Capt. Mackenzie-
Grubbs, fire support officer, Headquarters Co , 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division “We essentially wanted to get our fire support systems working together with the shadow UAV and involve the Bulgarians to see how well we work with partner nations ”
The exercise kicked off with the mortar platoon launching rounds from an elevated hilltop into targets several miles away identified by the shadow UAV
“We’re doing a joint mission with Bulgarians, essentially integrating fire support into the tanks maneuvering through objectives,” said 1st Lt Christopher Lucero, mortar platoon leader, Headquarters Co , 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division “We have [U S] tanks, we have Bulgarian tanks and we also have a Bulgarian artillery battery firing My platoon is responsible for firing mortars in support of their maneuver ”
The mortar platoon’s synchronized strikes suppressed the hypothetical enemy, which allowed the U S and Bulgarian tanks to advance through the vast, open terrain at will
“They were rehearsing maneuver tactics up the valley,” said Pfc Ryan Licini, gunner, Headquarters Co , 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. “While they were doing that, we were providing support fire from our mortar position Support fire keeps the enemy pinned down and in place It’s cover that allows the moving element to move more freely ”
Integrating the fires of tanks, mortars, and artillery required precise planning and execution in order to maintain the safety of everyone involved
“We did several rehearsals,” said Grubbs “We had walkthroughs without actually firing and made sure that safety factors were implemented throughout the range. Both countries had a common knowledge of when and where we were firing ”
Working across international borders presented a language barrier, but that was a surmountable hurdle when it came to safety Star clusters were prepared to launch in case any issues surfaced and both nations understood that meant an immediate stop to all activity, said Grubbs
COVID-19 created additional safety concerns for all the military branches. The U.S. and its’ NATO allies have been deliberate in their efforts to create safe environments with a commitment to continue collective training
“Some of the mitigations that we implemented were to make sure everyone was always wearing a mask and social distancing when possible,” said Grubbs “It’s important to keep training because you never know what might happen during an actual conflict Making sure that we can work together under adverse conditions, no matter what they might be is what makes us lethal ”
The exercise was safely completed with the integrated tank companies clearing approximately two miles of various enemy targets Months of planning and one cloudy day of training resulted in an atmosphere of accomplishment
“I can say that the exercise was very beneficial for us to increase our interoperability with the U S Army,” said Ltc Yanko Panayotkov, Senior Artillery Specialist, Bulgarian Land Component Headquarters. “The main objective of being able to execute a mission together with the tank platoon was achieved It was a pleasure to work with this U S battalion and we plan to increase these types of training ”
“Working with the Bulgarians gave us a chance to come to a new place and learn things that are relevant to our job that we do back home,” said Licini. “That’s everything I wanted to join the military for ”
“As small as the exercise turned out to be, I think it proved a pretty big point,” said Grubbs. “It is possible for us to effectively work together anywhere ”
SMARDAN TRAINING AREA, Romania Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division banded together with Polish and Romanian land force battalions to execute joint-force exercise Justice Eagle here, March 23.
The allied ensemble gathered to take on a tough, realistic, and battle-focused scenario led by the U S
“The scenario was an enemy had evaded through a port in Romania with naval infantry forces,” said Lt Col Neil Hollenbeck, battalion commander, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. “Our responsibility was to seize key terrain to prevent the enemy from continuing the attack and set the conditions for follow-on forces from NATO to attack ”
The whispers of the windy spring day were broken by a chorus of engines from the multinational armored vehicle fleet. The U.S. boasted the powerful M2A3
Bradley with the Polish and Romanians showcasing the agile Rosomak Wolverine and lethal TR-85 Main Battle Tank, respectively
“We brought together a motorized infantry company from the Polish military contingent, Romanian heavy artillery units, and one of our mechanized infantry companies,” said Hollenbeck “The purpose of the exercise is deterrence. It’s to demonstrate to our adversaries that the alliance is strong and our many armies can seamlessly fight together as one ”
Joining the U S with its’ European allies for Justice Eagle took months of planning that focused on a few key objectives.
“The planning started back in January with all three nations,” said Cpt Ryan Cash, battalion information officer, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. “The biggest take away was to make sure that the scheme of vehicle maneuver was understood by all to make sure conditions were set for a
Justice Eagle
A Cavalry of Many
Article and Photography by Jabari Clyburn
-successful live fire operation.”
Another key objective during planning was understanding the challenge of establishing communications between each country’s radio systems.
“We were able to establish secure radio communications between all three partner forces, which was a significant interoperable success,” said Cash “Getting those secure comms was a big part of the exercise.”
NATO’s appetite for multinational live-fire exercises is fueled by the opportunity to facilitate lessons learned and establish best practices between nations. That appetite is always paired with a strong taste for safety within training environments
“We had particular safety concerns here at Smardan Training Area,” said Cash. “It’s a very narrow firing range. Fitting three companies of vehicles in a tight gap was concerning, but we were able to work through and mitigate the risk. There were operation command teams behind each element ensuring everyone was maneuvering and firing in a safe manner ”
“What I like about my command team is they gave us the opportunity to run several iterations of the scenario without live ammunition,” said Pfc. Sharjeel Ahmed, infantryman, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division “It made sure everyone knew their part and gave us a sense of comfortability with our weapons systems prior to the live exercise ”
COVID-19 was the only adversary that posed a real threat during the scenario, causing additional safety concerns to be accounted for. The U.S. and its’ NATO allies have been deliberate in their efforts to create safe environments with a commitment to continue collective training
“We made sure everyone remained socially distanced when possible,” said Cash “We provided hand sanitizer and adhered to all Army guidelines to make sure we don’t end up with any COVID positives here. It’s important that we keep training during the pandemic because it reassures our allies that the U S is here and it deters aggression. That’s the point of Atlantic Resolve, assurance and deterrence ”
The meticulous planning from the command team created a stage of ease for the platoons to perform their duties at an exceptional level. The U S , Romania, and Poland cleared all their objectives, strengthening the three-way relationship one target at a time
“As infantry units, we were told to assault and take over an objective,” said Ahmed “That’s exactly what we did. While the Polish and Romanians provided support fire, we dismounted the Bradley Fighting Vehicles and took out every one of our enemies.”
“Justice Eagle has made NATO a more lethal force,” said Cash. “We were able to have all three nations conduct a live-fire operation together. That inspires the confidence within me as a leader to know that we can seamlessly
integrate a partner nation in live combat operations down range ”
“We achieved all of our objectives,” said Hollenbeck. “I’m impressed by how quickly the Polish, Romanians and Americans came together into one cohesive task force. It’s given us confidence that we can fight together and it has taught us how to do that well. The purpose of the alliance is mutual aid and we saw that on the ground here today, with allied soldiers leaping at opportunities to assist one another If the time comes for us to fight together, we can rely on one another.”
Photos by Jabari Clyburn
Photo by Jabari Clyburn 2022
SC FIRST STEPS EXPERIENCE
Strategic Communications
“First Steps is here” is my most comprehensive strategic communication strategy. It was designed to remind key stakeholders of the importance of having a First Steps Local Partnership presence in every county. Local leaders, making local decisions, resulting in meaningful impact.
Internal Communication
One of the top priorities for my hire was to build positive internal communication between our state office and our 46 local offices. I traveled across the state visiting local offices to establish connections and build better relationships between the local and state offices. In turn, I’m able to act as a more impactful communicator on their behalf.
Photos by Jabari Clyburn 2022
Cross-Agency
SOUTH CAROLINA READ-IN
Read-In is SC’s premier children’s reading event that brings in students from across the state to celebrate literacy on the State House lawn. My efforts highlighted the longtime support of state-level leaders who continuously champion early childhood in SC.
Photos by Jabari Clyburn 2022
National Conferences
Parents as Teachers is an internationally acclaimed parenting model. Our agency was invited to their national conference to show the world the innovative ways we use the curriculum. I was given the opportunity to capture our innovative approache using videography and have it shown on a national stage in Denver, Colorado.
Photos and Video by Jabari Clyburn 2022
Scan here to view video:
Event Planning
Photos by Jabari Clyburn 2022
In 2022 my committee planned SC First Steps’ inaugural annual fundraising event. Supporters from all over the state attended and donated over $100,000.
Martin Luther King Day of Service
SC First Steps distributed over 10,000 books to kindergartners across the state to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
My role was to create an information campaign that honored Dr. King and highlight the impact our donors and volunteers have on early literacy across the state.
Photos by Jabari Clyburn 2022
Statewide Outdoor Learning Expansion
SC First Steps 4K Centers from across the state received funding to expand outdoor play areas to encour-age learning through play. Almost all private and public funding agreements require photo reports as seen herew.
Photos by Jabari Clyburn 2022
SC First Steps Press Conferences
SC First Steps is a state agency that directly serves the public of South Carolina. As the communications coordinator, I organize press conferences to effectively communicate important messages to the public and key stakeholders.
Photos by Jabari Clyburn 2022
Sample Documents
Press Release & Weekly Newsletter
Contact: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Name and Title
Phone Number
SC First Steps announces Parenting Expansion Grants
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina First Steps has awarded [YOUR COUNTY] First Steps [YOUR 3 YEAR TOTAL] in grants as part of its initiative with the South Carolina Department of Education to support parents as the first and most important teacher of their young child The funding will expand high- intensity, evidence- based parenting programs in [YOUR COUNTY] to address potential learning loss in children due to the COVID- 19 pandemic.
The award is primarily funded by the American Rescue Plan’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund and will be supplemented with Preschool Development Grant Funds. The South Carolina Department of Education received $211 million in total from the fund and has allocated $14.7 million to SC First Steps
“We are incredibly grateful for Superintendent Spearman’s vision to apply these federal resources to programs and services for South Carolina’s youngest children, an investment that will generate an exponential return,” said Georgia Mjartan, Executive Director of South Carolina First Steps. “Children and families whose lives have been upended by COVID- 19 will be able to participate in proven programs. Compared to their peers, children enrolled in First Steps programs are 74% more likely to enter kindergarten ready to succeed.”
[YOUR COUNTY] First Steps has a proven record of effectively addressing the high need for evidence- based parenting programs. These intensive home visiting and group parenting models have demonstrated school readiness outcomes nationally through experimental and quasi experimental studies.
Each local partnership that was selected for the Parenting Expansion Grant went through a competitive selection process overseen by senior leadership at SC First Steps. [YOUR COUNTY] received elevated consideration for being an area of the state that has been negatively impacted by learning loss during the pandemic.
[QUOTE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR]
**Consider the following questions while forming your quote:
1. What does this award mean for the parents and children specific to your county? (2- 3 sentences)
2. Describe the feeling of receiving this level of support from South Carlina First Steps state office (1- 2 sentences)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME
