A longtime Golden Triangle educator has picked up another award for her work with the Jobs For Mississippi Graduates program.
Debbie Thomas, who teaches the JMG program at Starkville High School, was named JMG’s 2017 Job Specialist of the Year for the region. Thomas has led the JMG program at SHS for the past three years and was also recognized with an award from the JMG executive director in 2015.
“My specific program manager, Dr. Pearl Epps, out of 15 specialists that she supervises, she selected me,” Thomas said. “I’m just honored to have received that.”
Thomas received the award at the JMG end-of-the-year meeting in December.
Thomas said it took attention to detail and focusing on the program’s goals to teach JMG at an award-worthy level.
“One of the elements that I thought was why I was selected and others like me is that we have to have the passion to say that we’re now ready to help those students who may need that little extra edge once they’ve completed high school getting some direction as to what they’re going to do next,” Thomas said.
The JMG curriculum is centered on the ideals of career readiness, college preparation, employment skills, community service, leadership skills, life skills and drop out prevention.
“When I go through the items of what we do on a daily basis, I look that curriculum that shows that we’re preparing students for career readiness and college prep,” Thomas said.
Thomas also said partnerships with Mississippi State University, as well as several community businesses were also important to the JMG program. Some of the partnerships have resulted in a $200 scholarship for all JMG students who go on to attend college. Students interested in early childhood education have also been able to volunteer at local daycare centers.
“I’ve told the students that not everybody wants to or should go to college,” Thomas said. “There are some who are just ready to go to the work field. I was able to award 13 students a $200 scholarship thanks to the support of businesses here in Starkville.”
Currently there are 24 JMG students at SHS with a maximum of 30 slots. In the program students are able to explore careers and learn of the options available for the future including, college, entering the workforce or joining the military. Throughout the state, there are 60 JMG sites.
“They come in, they tell me what they’re interested in, and then, as today, we’re going to have career Power Point presentations where they’re going to look at the nature of the work, the conditions, the environment in which they feel they want to go in and work in that field, the job outlook for that particular field,” Thomas said.
Thomas also keeps track of students for their first year out of high school and offers assistance if necessary.
JMG is the Mississippi arm of Jobs for America’s Graduates, a nonprofit which provides for similar programs across the country.
Thomas has served as a teacher and administrator in Starkville and West Point for several years, including as an assistant principal at Starkville High School.