Her Story
About Shaunice
I started my career in education in 2006 as a middle school science teacher, even though I originally studied forensic chemistry at McNeese State University with plans to work in a crime lab. After deciding that wasn't for me, I became a floating teacher with no classroom, going from class to class to teach my students. An assistant principal saw leadership potential in me and encouraged me to pursue advanced education. I completed my first master's in Educational Administration with Prairie View A&M University in 2010, initially wanting to become a science facilitator or curriculum coordinator. That same assistant principal then suggested I'd be great as a school counselor, so I went back for my second master's in School Counseling from Lamar University in 2011-2012, getting certified EC through 12. I also completed courses for a mental health certification at Lamar, though I didn't pursue becoming a therapist because I felt the kids needed me more in the school counseling role. Most of my experience has been in secondary education, 6th through 12th grade, and I've never been on an elementary campus. About 3 years ago, thinking about retirement, I got my HR certification because I'd eventually like to move into human resources at the district level in my final years before retirement. Throughout my career, I've maintained my certifications as a 4 through 8 generalist and in school counseling, keeping up with professional development every 5 years. As a single mom, I've come a long way, and at heart, I'm always a teacher who wants to give back.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Shaunice
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my mother, who is a retired educator. It's in the family, and she has been my inspiration throughout my career in education.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received is simple: just keep going and always keep smiling. Colleagues have told me that I always have a smile on my face and that they love seeing my beautiful smile, that I'm always happy. Every day is a new day, so I try to keep that positive attitude no matter what.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I love women empowerment, and I'm all about women getting into fields that may not be a field that women normally go into. I would just say keep going, know your strength, and keep going. Never think that you can't do something, because you can.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges deals mainly with education outsiders and their opinions of education, meaning on a state or a federal level, that have no idea what truly goes on in schools and how education is run. We work on helping to bridge that gap daily when we attend professional development or give feedback to our supervisors, who then give that feedback to other people. We're trying to make change through our associations, networking and connecting with others to try to build that change. There's a disconnect between state levels, federal levels, and actual districts. I hope in the near future that one day that bridge can be close to closing, so we can remember what this is all about - it's all about student success.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
As far as work goes, you have to have compassion, you have to have patience, and you have to be a great listener. The children have many stories to tell, and they've lived many lives, believe it or not. In their short amount of time that they've been around Earth, some of them have experienced way more than I could even imagine, so just being a kind listener for them really takes a lot of patience to hear some of their backgrounds and their stories. It's about always staying grounded and being who you are, being honest, and making sure that you don't lose the touch of knowing where you came from so that way you can help inspire other people.
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