Career Coach Shaquita Prince Finds Success at Charleston High School

New placement methods paying off for students in jobs, training and higher education

To suggest installing Shaquita Prince as career coach at Charleston High School was a good decision would be an understatement. Since she arrived in 2022, scores on college-prep tests have increased, students have met with leaders of local industry, and a pair of students are poised to begin skills training at the Mississippi Job Corps Center in Crystal Springs this fall.

“The students were unaccustomed to having someone help them create a plan for after high school, so I didn't think a lot of students would be open to that help,” she said. “Soon after we began presenting options, interest began to rise. I've even had ninth and tenth graders coming by, wanting to get a head start on their college careers.”

A Charleston High School alumna herself, Prince has the attitude of a battlefield general—no student left behind. When she opens a new case, she tests the student to determine what careers may be best suited for them. That’s a departure from the orthodoxy of recent decades, when college was stressed above other pursuits—and it’s helping students realize their talents.

“A lot of students belive that when they leave high school, a university is the only option for them,” she said. “They don't know about opportunities in trades through community colleges, or other avenue such as the Army or National Guard, because it's been instilled in them that they can only succeed with a four-year degree. That's not the case.”

When Prince took a group of students to tour the Mississippi Job Corps Center during her first school year in Charleston, they quickly saw how they could learn a trade such as welding, brick laying, culinary arts, carpentry and more—skills they can use to earn a good living—completely free of charge.

“One of the things that stuck out for some of my students who needed that extra push to graduate is that there's another option to get a high school diploma,” she said. “I have two students who are going to Job Corps this fall and will get their high school diplomas before December.”

To help students who are planning to attend a two-year community college or four-year university, Prince spends time researching and curating resources to help them prepare for the ACT exam, a standardized test used in the admissions process. 

She also started an incentive program, backed by the Ed and Becky Meek Foundation, to encourage students to take the exam. Students can earn a $50 or $100 gift card for reaching certain composite score thresholds.

“Things have really changed a lot, in terms of the students actually wanting to take the test,” she said, “and then trying their best compared to just putting anything down.” In the year since she arrived, students’ average ACT scores rose from the lower double-digits to the upper teens, out of a possible 36 maximum score.

It’s important for Prince to see her students understand the myriad of paths and careers they can pursue after high school graduation, and to see it as their true beginning. But in her estimation, taking the next step and creating an actionable plan is crucial to success in that next step.

“I hope to see every student that I work with have some type of plan, whether it is college, industry, trade or the National Guard,” she said, “so I can successfully get them placed in something that they want to do.”

AccelerateMS serves the people and businesses of Mississippi by developing and deploying workforce strategies to connect individuals with transformative, high-paying careers. By leveraging resources and partnering with organizations that hold complementary missions, AccelerateMS effectuates positive change, creating sustained individual, community and statewide economic prosperity.