Portia Y. Clare has always harbored a deep love for children and has devoted her career to serving them as an educator and author. Working within the Marlboro County School District in South Carolina since 2015, she believes that teaching is her passion and calling. Ms. Clare is a beloved third-grade teacher who works with multiple groups of children and always strives to ensure the mental and physical well-being of her students.
Dedicated to helping her students grow into competent and successful adults, Ms. Clare teaches them how to build relationships, work with others, and navigate interpersonal conflict. As a child, Ms. Clare recalls spending hours playing with her cousins, pretending to be in school. She first expressed her desire to become a teacher in fourth grade, and while she considered other career paths that would allow her to work with children, such as pediatrics, she ultimately followed her innate bent and chose a career in education. In 1989, she graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in English. Ms. Clare went on to earn a Master of Education from both Pensacola Christian College and Regent University. For her excellence and unmatched dedication as an educator, she was named Teacher of the Year by the Marlboro County School District in 2019.
With a clear commitment to helping children, Ms. Clare knows firsthand that education takes place inside and outside the classroom. Since 2015, she has found additional success as a children’s book author. In 2021, she published “Best Friends Forever: A Puppy’s Tale,” and in 2023, she published “His Name is My Daddy.” Her most recent book, “Life is More Than This Covington Pond,” was published in 2024. In addition to these titles, Ms. Clare was a guest author for the Heart Children’s Book Spotlight Series. She was initially inspired to write her books by her father, Randolph George Clare, and drew additional inspiration from her grandmothers, Maxie Easterling and Lucille Clare, who were strong women with integrity and character. As an educator and writer, Ms. Clare feels that she is destined to follow this path and takes great enjoyment in continually improving her skills and becoming the best educator she can be. She is grateful for the opportunity to share her life with children. Her mission is to recognize the individual qualities and strengths of her students, appreciate their value as human beings, and help them grow into successful adults.
Looking ahead, Ms. Clare has a vision to establish The Rajanport Foundation, which will provide assistance to underprivileged children and youths worldwide. The goal of this endeavor will be to help those who lack the means to pursue their dreams and personal goals, whether this involves publishing a book, pursuing a patent, starting a business, or otherwise. Ms. Clare’s foundation will offer a platform for children to submit their ideas and request funding on the condition that their projects benefit their families and communities. She believes that children have incredible insight and creativity, and she hopes to support them in bringing those ideas to fruition.
Ms. Clare also aims to offer scholarships, cultivate leadership skills, and promote community growth. She is a member of The Authors Guild, America’s largest professional organization for writers. At her book launch in 2024, she proudly hosted a fundraiser for children’s betterment. As a result of her efforts, more than 300 students each received an autographed copy of “Life is More Than This Covington Pond.” Outside of her many endeavors, Ms. Clare enjoys time with her family as well as singing and bowling.
