Twenty-eight Little Jem Stones donned caps and gowns to receive diplomas for the first of their graduation ceremonies in their educational pursuits.
There are gems and then there are the precious jems who received diplomas Sunday, May 17, upon completion of Voluntary Prekindergarten, a free program offered by the Early Learni
ng Coalition of Marion County. VPK is an income-based program that helps eligible students prepare for kindergarten.
Little Jem Stones Academy owner Bobette Allen said gems spelled with a “g” are different from jems spelled with a “j,” which come in all colors from all cultures.
“With gems you can make a diamond, sapphire, or a ruby, but with a 'j,” it’s one of a kind. You can never find that stone ever again, and all of us are one of a kind,” she said. “This is my thirty-seventh graduation. The kids know how to read, they know how to tie their shoes and spell their names. They’re awesome. My babies are amazing.”
The theme of this year’s ceremony was “On Fire & Fired Up!” The program declared that every child is a precious gem shining bright with kindness, laughter, and big dreams. “We hope they always believe in themselves, continue to shine with confidence, and keep sparkling as you begin your next adventure.”
“Mrs. Bobbie,” as her babies call her, normally graduates 40 students, but it was just too much on the teachers, so she decided to try a smaller group.
“I’m going back to a larger group next year,” she said.
Allen vividly remembers June 20, 1998, when she started childcare out of her house in Miami Garden. She began with eight children, grew it to 12, and then to 20.
“I thought, ‘Oh my god! I’ve got 20 kids running around in my house!’” she said. “I opened my first center in Miami Garden.”
But tiring of Miami, she eventually moved to Dunnellon on June 5, 2013, because of her husband, a good man who was the answer to her prayer.
“Everything was just going wrong and God found Jimmy Jackson for me — the perfect husband. We were married 11 years,” she said. Her sparkling personality, which sparkled like a perfectly cut diamond, changed in an instant to a cloudy, imperfect jewel as she recalled him passing away on July 19, 2020. “He went into the hospital the morning of July 4. He had COVID. COVID took him. “I need my babies,” she said.
BOBETTE ALLEN, owner of Little Jem Stones Academy, takes a break from decorating the fellowship hall at Dunnellon Presbyterian Church on Sunday, May 17, 2026.