May 19, 2026 • 5 mins
A lot of schools talk about “college and career readiness,” but what does that actually look like on a Tuesday morning with real students who have real barriers? From the SCABSE conference in Myrtle Beach, we sit down with Latonya Jackson from Columbia High School in Richland One to unpack how Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) turns good intentions into clear next steps: soft skills training, SMART goals, career exploration, and opportunities students can act on right now.
Website: spotlight4success.com
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SPEAKER_01 (00:06):
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book
Company.
I'm Devin Pentosa, your host.
We are here in sunny and partlycloudy uh Myrtle Beach, South
Carolina, at the ScabseyConference.
And we are so excited to havewith us our special guest,
Latanya Jackson.
SPEAKER_00 (00:21):
Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_01 (00:22):
Latanya Jackson joins us from JAG, and that is
part of Columbia High School inRichland One.
Latanya, can you explain what uhJAG is?
SPEAKER_00 (00:34):
Yes, JAG is Job for Americans graduates, and what we
do is we prepare the studentsfor life after graduation.
So we help build their softskills up and we do anywhere
from vision boards so that theycan have SMART goals to follow
throughout the year and we trackthose SMART goals to make sure
they're meeting them.
We bring um employmentengagement into the classroom
(00:56):
for students can exploredifferent career pathways.
We also help them figure outwhat career pathway best fits
them.
We do, I don't like to say fieldtrips, we do field studies to
help them explore different worksites in different colleges, and
they assist me with planningthose.
We also are responsible forcommunity service.
(01:16):
So we teach them how to be areal-rounded student.
We also do scholarships withinthe classroom and we get them
ready for those scholarships.
And in today's world, we realizeeveryone might not want to go to
college, and so there's otheroptions out there, and we help
them explore them.
SPEAKER_01 (01:31):
Oh, that's wonderful.
So can you give us an idea withJobs for America's graduates?
Uh, what kind of fields of studyhave been opening up for your
students in the school?
SPEAKER_00 (01:41):
Well, I'll be honest, um, a lot of them look
into military as an optionbecause they have financial
barriers, and that's the way forthem to still go to college.
We have one student that justgot the FDA certification for um
flying drones.
So that was an opportunity thatopened up for him.
Um we have some that'sinterested in AVAC and welding
um outside of our traditionalcollege students.
SPEAKER_01 (02:04):
Oh wow, that's great.
Um, do you have any specialexperiences where you're like,
this is why I wanted to getinvolved with JAG?
SPEAKER_00 (02:11):
Yes, so the beauty of JAG is after graduation, we
follow our students for 12months, and so I recently had
lunch with my graduates fromclass of 25.
Um, while one of my students washome, she wanted to reconnect
with the City of Columbia, whichis one of our biggest partners
and the mayor of the city.
He really supports our program.
So she was able to speak at oneof the city programs, and they
(02:34):
were so proud of how well sherepresented herself and her
speech.
I actually got a call yesterdaywhile we were down here.
We had someone from the House ofRepresentatives that want her to
be an intern.
And so that's a great story ofhow you stay connected with your
city and the opportunities thatyou have because of Jack.
Without the partnership withJack, she wouldn't have had the
opportunity.
SPEAKER_01 (02:54):
Wow, that is incredible.
Uh you know, you never knowwhat's gonna happen and who
you're gonna meet.
Um that's that's great.
Uh so you're here at Scabsey.
Can you uh give us some ideas ofthings that you're hoping to uh
get out of or communicate withthe ScabSe community?
SPEAKER_00 (03:12):
So the reason why we're here, I'm actually on the
other side of the conferencewith my youth.
So I brought some of my JAGstudents here today.
Oh, wonderful.
And they are really having agood time in their breakout
sessions, um meeting otherstudents from the Columbia area
and outside of Columbia, sothey're using their networking
skills that we teach in insidethe classroom.
I have a student here that wantsto go into education and he
(03:34):
wants to go into the Call Me Mr.
program.
And so Call Me Mr.
did a breakout session with themearlier today, and because he's
in JAG, he doesn't have to getready.
He's already ready.
He had his resume and hisofficial transcript with him, so
he gave that to the professorover the program, and they had a
great conversation about howthey're gonna reconnect later
for an interview.
SPEAKER_01 (03:53):
That's wonderful.
What is Call Me Mister?
SPEAKER_00 (03:55):
So, Call Me Mister is a program um that assists
students in becoming blackeducators.
SPEAKER_01 (04:00):
Oh, okay.
So he's interested in a careerpath in education.
SPEAKER_00 (04:03):
He wants to become a um history teacher and then
later become the superintendentof our school district.
SPEAKER_01 (04:09):
Oh wow, that's great.
You've got to have a lot ofambition to get out there and uh
get the process started.
Yep.
Oh, that is so great.
And uh so um, do you haveanything you'd like to share as
a takeaway to the Scabseycommunity?
SPEAKER_00 (04:21):
Yes, so I want to please get your students
involved in JAG.
This is not a program that'sjust an enrichment one.
We are a national program acrossthe entire United States.
So if you have a JAG program inyour high school and we do have
a middle school model, pleaseget your students involved
because this opens up so manyopportunities for them on the
(04:41):
national level and the statelevel.
Our national JAG president iscurrently working on Capitol
Hill, and it's because of JAG hegot this opportunity.
So this is not just the originalone program, this is a
nationwide program.
So to the Skapcy community,please have your kids come and
enroll in JAG.
It's a life changing experience,and we're a family.
SPEAKER_01 (05:03):
Oh, that's so wonderful.
Uh, thank you once again,Latanya Jackson, a JAG
representative at Columbia HighSchool.
Thank you for joining us today.
SPEAKER_00 (05:11):
Thank you for having me.
Welcome to Spotlight for Success by American Book
Company.
I'm Devin Pentosa, your host.
We are here in sunny and partlycloudy uh Myrtle Beach, South
Carolina, at the ScabseyConference.
And we are so excited to havewith us our special guest,
Latanya Jackson.
SPEAKER_00 (00:21):
Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_01 (00:22):
Latanya Jackson joins us from JAG, and that is
part of Columbia High School inRichland One.
Latanya, can you explain what uhJAG is?
SPEAKER_00 (00:34):
Yes, JAG is Job for Americans graduates, and what we
do is we prepare the studentsfor life after graduation.
So we help build their softskills up and we do anywhere
from vision boards so that theycan have SMART goals to follow
throughout the year and we trackthose SMART goals to make sure
they're meeting them.
We bring um employmentengagement into the classroom
(00:56):
for students can exploredifferent career pathways.
We also help them figure outwhat career pathway best fits
them.
We do, I don't like to say fieldtrips, we do field studies to
help them explore different worksites in different colleges, and
they assist me with planningthose.
We also are responsible forcommunity service.
(01:16):
So we teach them how to be areal-rounded student.
We also do scholarships withinthe classroom and we get them
ready for those scholarships.
And in today's world, we realizeeveryone might not want to go to
college, and so there's otheroptions out there, and we help
them explore them.
SPEAKER_01 (01:31):
Oh, that's wonderful.
So can you give us an idea withJobs for America's graduates?
Uh, what kind of fields of studyhave been opening up for your
students in the school?
SPEAKER_00 (01:41):
Well, I'll be honest, um, a lot of them look
into military as an optionbecause they have financial
barriers, and that's the way forthem to still go to college.
We have one student that justgot the FDA certification for um
flying drones.
So that was an opportunity thatopened up for him.
Um we have some that'sinterested in AVAC and welding
um outside of our traditionalcollege students.
SPEAKER_01 (02:04):
Oh wow, that's great.
Um, do you have any specialexperiences where you're like,
this is why I wanted to getinvolved with JAG?
SPEAKER_00 (02:11):
Yes, so the beauty of JAG is after graduation, we
follow our students for 12months, and so I recently had
lunch with my graduates fromclass of 25.
Um, while one of my students washome, she wanted to reconnect
with the City of Columbia, whichis one of our biggest partners
and the mayor of the city.
He really supports our program.
So she was able to speak at oneof the city programs, and they
(02:34):
were so proud of how well sherepresented herself and her
speech.
I actually got a call yesterdaywhile we were down here.
We had someone from the House ofRepresentatives that want her to
be an intern.
And so that's a great story ofhow you stay connected with your
city and the opportunities thatyou have because of Jack.
Without the partnership withJack, she wouldn't have had the
opportunity.
SPEAKER_01 (02:54):
Wow, that is incredible.
Uh you know, you never knowwhat's gonna happen and who
you're gonna meet.
Um that's that's great.
Uh so you're here at Scabsey.
Can you uh give us some ideas ofthings that you're hoping to uh
get out of or communicate withthe ScabSe community?
SPEAKER_00 (03:12):
So the reason why we're here, I'm actually on the
other side of the conferencewith my youth.
So I brought some of my JAGstudents here today.
Oh, wonderful.
And they are really having agood time in their breakout
sessions, um meeting otherstudents from the Columbia area
and outside of Columbia, sothey're using their networking
skills that we teach in insidethe classroom.
I have a student here that wantsto go into education and he
(03:34):
wants to go into the Call Me Mr.
program.
And so Call Me Mr.
did a breakout session with themearlier today, and because he's
in JAG, he doesn't have to getready.
He's already ready.
He had his resume and hisofficial transcript with him, so
he gave that to the professorover the program, and they had a
great conversation about howthey're gonna reconnect later
for an interview.
SPEAKER_01 (03:53):
That's wonderful.
What is Call Me Mister?
SPEAKER_00 (03:55):
So, Call Me Mister is a program um that assists
students in becoming blackeducators.
SPEAKER_01 (04:00):
Oh, okay.
So he's interested in a careerpath in education.
SPEAKER_00 (04:03):
He wants to become a um history teacher and then
later become the superintendentof our school district.
SPEAKER_01 (04:09):
Oh wow, that's great.
You've got to have a lot ofambition to get out there and uh
get the process started.
Yep.
Oh, that is so great.
And uh so um, do you haveanything you'd like to share as
a takeaway to the Scabseycommunity?
SPEAKER_00 (04:21):
Yes, so I want to please get your students
involved in JAG.
This is not a program that'sjust an enrichment one.
We are a national program acrossthe entire United States.
So if you have a JAG program inyour high school and we do have
a middle school model, pleaseget your students involved
because this opens up so manyopportunities for them on the
(04:41):
national level and the statelevel.
Our national JAG president iscurrently working on Capitol
Hill, and it's because of JAG hegot this opportunity.
So this is not just the originalone program, this is a
nationwide program.
So to the Skapcy community,please have your kids come and
enroll in JAG.
It's a life changing experience,and we're a family.
SPEAKER_01 (05:03):
Oh, that's so wonderful.
Uh, thank you once again,Latanya Jackson, a JAG
representative at Columbia HighSchool.
Thank you for joining us today.
SPEAKER_00 (05:11):
Thank you for having me.
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