Jillyan Beasley

My name is Jillyan Beasley and I am in my third year teaching history to high school students! I am the varsity volleyball coach and have been coaching for almost 10 years. I am newly married to my wonderful husband Cody and we have two fur babies! I am also currently working towards my Masters in History.

Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
I am newly married to my husband Cody and we were both raised in Augusta, GA! My family is from here with my mom having attend ARC and my dad went to Evans! I have one younger sister is married and expecting her first child in December

Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
I am a high school teacher currently and previously I was a full-time manager in Aquatics at the Kroc Center. While working at the Kroc Center for almost 7 years, I was a camp counselor, lifeguard, and swim instructor!

Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
My husband and I love Outback for a great date night! We also love Chick-fil-A! I mean who doesn’t?!

Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
I have lived and worked in Augusta all my life and have made wonderful connections from it.

Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
My previous manager at the Kroc Center, Shawn McNair has been an amazing role model in my life. He has pushed me every step of the way and continues to do so even now! He was more than a boss, he taught his staff lessons that they can carry with them in life. Shawn, Nick Parker, and Angela Brown have all been huge influences in getting me to where I am today.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
As weird as this sounds, I love learning and teaching about the Holocaust. I am not sure why, but it has always been one of my favorite topics. I would love to travel to Poland and visit Auschwitz, one of the largest concentration camps was in this location.

Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
Forrest Gump is an all time classic for movies and I love Law and Order SVU and House!

Q: What advice would you give to people?
Never stop pushing yourself! It took me almost 8 years to get my bachelors degree and I struggled a ton. However, I pushed myself to keep climbing because time doesn’t matter. When you reach the end goal it is the greatest feeling in the world knowing you accomplished and completed something! It doesn’t matter how big or small, you gotta keep moving!

Q: What is something on your bucket list?
Back-pack through Europe with my husband! We both love traveling, we just never have the time with how much we work!

Q: What is your go to band when you can’t decide what to listen to?
Right now I have a playlist with today’s artists that just going through them all.

Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
Funsville was the place to go growing up! I had birthday parties there, hung out with friends there, and just had fun being a kid! My parents got to be kids as well, so it was awesome playing games and racing my dad on the track!

Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
I would experience the most southern thing they can experience and that is Wife Saver. Most people I would love to meet are no longer with us. Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Trainor have been my idols all my life with volleyball. I would love to get tips from them to help with coaching and drills!

Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
I love the hidden beauty within Augusta. There are a lot of hidden wonderful places that you can find that make it amazing to live here.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
Hopefully I will have finished my Doctorate in History and have maybe a child or two with my husband!

Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I have been going on Mission Trips since I was in middle school to Lincolnton. River of Life was an amazing escape from the real world where no one would judge you or anything. I can with some help, build a porch/ramp and re-shingle a roof! Most people know about the mission trips but there is one story my mom told me not too long ago. I went Schroeder’s Small World and I got in trouble on the playground. My Daycare teacher, Mrs. Sue Sue sent me inside to timeout. Once inside, I made the smart decision to lock everyone out on the playground. It took them about 2 hours before someone got inside and let everyone else in.

Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Amsterdam was so beautiful with the canals and rivers everywhere.

Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
I love October, you cannot beat Fall weather and Halloween! I love the spooky season and the fun things that come with it!

Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
A Grande Caramel Frappe from Starbucks first thing in the morning while still laying in bed!!

Q: Who inspires you to be better?
I am very blessed to have surrounded myself with friends and family that all inspire me to be better!

Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
I love manly scents like teakwood and anything calming like lavender or vanilla

Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Home is where the heart is. Family and friends are what make it home. There is no place like home!