Campus News

Persevering through uncertain times and utilizing educational resources to achieve your goals is the example Judge Sybil Cleveland has displayed through her personal and professional story. On May 7th, 1999, Cleveland’s life would change forever as she made history by becoming one of the youngest Municipal Court Judge’s for the City of Huntsville and the 2nd African-American to hold the office of full-time Judge in North Alabama.

Her success did not come easy as she had many challenges and obstacles to face in order to get to where she is today. Judge Cleveland, the youngest of five siblings, herself came from humble beginnings in Hartselle, AL, having been born the daughter of an Army Korean War Veteran and a seamstress. Before the age of 19, she lost both of her parents in separate incidents. Pulling from her parental teachings, she decided to attend college and enrolled at Calhoun. She transferred to the University of North Alabama where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and went on to earn a Juris Doctor degree from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law.

Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Cleveland served as an attorney in the general practice of law in Birmingham, AL and as a Municipal Prosecutor for the Cities of Birmingham and Ensley. She also served as an Assistant District Attorney in Madison County under the Child Legal Division before she was promoted to Deputy District Attorney and supervised the legal and support staff of the Child Support Division.

With so many pivotal moments in her career, Judge Cleveland received numerous awards and recognitions such as “Outstanding Woman of Year” from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Huntsville Chapter; “Whitney M. Young Outstanding Community Service Award” from the Greater Alabama Council of the Boy Scouts of America; and was most recently a 2019 WEDC Women Honoring Women Honoree. Outside of the courtroom, Judge Cleveland is a highly accomplished executive leader whose work ethic, value system and active commitment to her community keeps her connected with people from all walks of life.

As Judge Cleveland reflected on her many positive experiences at Calhoun, she states her favorite and most impactful class was Speech. “Although throughout my high school years, I was involved in several extra-curricular activities and held various leadership positions in organizations; when I got to college, I still struggled with all the nervousness and anxiety associated with public speaking,” she recalls. “I remember my Calhoun Speech Professor being extremely patient, insightful and encouraging as she helped each student prepare for presentations in her class. She encouraged us to choose topics we were passionate about, taught us how to organize our thoughts, and how to overcome anxieties by putting aside the ideals of perfection. Her mantra was ‘practice, practice, practice’ to the point your material became something you could literally live, eat and breathe. To this day, every time I give a presentation or step into my courtroom, I am confident and at ease, because of the foundational lessons I learned in her class,” she added.

“I wholeheartedly feel that Calhoun definitely lives up to its’ promise as a 2-year Community College,” added Cleveland. “They provide students with a high-quality education, with high-quality Faculty and Administrators who genuinely care about the success of students,” she commented.

Judge Cleveland is truly a Calhoun success story!