North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University alumni, John Hodge, is making a name for himself in the field of education. Currently the director of the Urban Learning and Leadership Center (ULLC) and former director of the Achievable Dream Academy (ADA)- a Virginia inner city school, the proud Aggie says he believes in team work and is dedicated to the education of African American children all over.

A native of Greensboro, Hodge is a highly sought after motivational speaker and regarded as one of today's top educational speakers in the U.S. It was Hodge's dedication to Achievable Dream Academy and its partner organization ULLC that landed his team on CBS's The Early Show two years ago. The show highlighted ADA's high performance and national awards, against the odds. ADA is a 97% African-American, K-8 school located in Newport News, Virginia. ULLC is in partnership with ADA and shares the lessons with schools throughout the United States. ULLC was endorsed by Virginia Governor Mark Warner to provide training and support for urban schools throughout the state in his PASS (Partnership for Achieving Successful Schools) initiative.

“I believe the success of An Achievable Dream (K-8 Academy) is due to the efforts of the many students, parents, teachers, administrators, and school sponsors who worked so hard to make it happen. One person cannot and should not take the credit for the success of the program. An Achievable Dream and Urban Learning and Leadership Center are the result of team efforts. I have just been lucky enough to work with great people. This includes my time at North Carolina A&T. I truly love my Aggies," he said.

Hodge graduated N.C. A&T cum laude in 1990 with a degree in English Education. He has served as a reading teacher, English teacher, and assistant principal and associate director of Advanced Via Individual Determination (AVID). Prior to starting his career in education, Hodge served with the 7th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army.

His career has been spent helping student and teachers overcome obstacles in order to achieve their goals. Hodge has been a guest lecturer at Christopher Newport University, Hampton University, George Washington University and N.C. A&T. He is currently a doctoral candidate at Virginia Tech.

He is a trained facilitator, assessor and mentor/coach facilitator. His lectures are credited for "sparking" many schools in their quest to meet state and federal accreditation standards. He continues to be known as a master teacher and staff developer.