From the classroom to an office, former White Station teacher Jan-Vincent Waller takes on a new role as the graduation coach. As of the 2023-2024 school year, White Station High School now has a graduation coach.
Prior to being the graduation coach, Jan-Vincent Waller taught social studies. As a teacher, he often spoke to his students about their plans after graduation to help them plan for their future. Now, he’s bringing those skills to the whole school.
“I had been looking to transition from the classroom for a while now,” Waller said. “I wanted to try something new, and this summer, right before the teachers were supposed to come back, I was perusing open positions in the district and I saw that White Station had a [position open for a] graduation coach. The job description sounded amazing. [It was] something that I already did as a teacher, but it appeared that I could do it in a larger capacity.”
Waller wasn’t the only candidate considered for the position. Principal Carrye Holland selected him over others who applied because he had experience other applicants did not have. As a teacher at White Station, Waller was already familiar with White Station and had already formed connections with students.
“I think [Waller] is a great fit,” Holland said. “None of the applicants that I got externally had the level of experience I wanted. Plus, they were going to be coming in October/November, not knowing the students, not knowing education and having to learn literally everything, build relationships, get to know the students, get to know all the programs.”
Waller has already begun planning on how to help students. He focuses on connecting with students to help them realistically plan for college or other post-secondary opportunities.
“One thing that I want to start is college conversations,” Waller said. “What do you expect college to be like? You know what your major is, you know all of those things, but, for example, pretty basic question, how are you actually going to get to the college? For example a lot of students want to go to [University of Tennessee, Knoxville], that’s a 6 hour drive. There are costs that are associated with that. You’ve got the financial cost but you’ve also got the mental and emotional cost.”
Beginning this year, a graduation coach is a district-mandated position for White Station. Since it is a new position, the graduation coach currently serves mostly seniors; however, the goal is to help students from all grades.
“Since this is a new position to White Station, [other grades are] gonna be phased in over time,” Waller said. “So, seniors, then juniors, then phase in the freshmen and sophomores.”
Despite what some students may think, the graduation coach and counselor are two different roles. Furthermore, the two work together to support students.
“I’m not a counselor,” Waller said. “I’m working, actually, side by side supporting the guidance counselors. As far as graduation, I’m working more with what’s coming … after graduation. [The counselors] do some things that a graduation coach does but I’m alleviating some of that from them so that they can actually focus more on the things that they need to.”
High school is a difficult time for many, and the transition after graduation to a college, trade school, job or somewhere else can be equally as trying. The goal of the graduation coach is to help support students all throughout high school and get them on track to accomplish their goals after they graduate.
“I’m here to support the students in addition to the counselors,” Waller said. “[Working in tandem with the counselors], I think a lot of those ideas and paths are gonna cross but that’s just more information that’s available to the students and the faculty here at the school. I think there’s room for us to get even more students than we have now into those post-secondary opportunities. Trade-school, vocational school, a 4-year institution, studying abroad, things like that. It’s just the beginning.”
