Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Lincoln’s Simmons celebrated for college and career coaching role
LINCOLN — Sarah Simmons is a Lincoln native who graduated from Lincoln High, attended the University of Central Arkansas on a full basketball and track scholarship and when offered a teaching position at her alma mater responded without hesitation, “Of course, I took it.”
She’s had a couple opportunities to leave Lincoln, either for a different career or another school, but says she “never, ever” thought of leaving Lincoln.
“There’s too much work to do here. That’s why I haven’t retired,” she said. “I feel like there’s good work to be done here. It’s my extended family and they’ve been very good to me.”
Administrators with Lincoln Consolidated School District recently celebrated Simmons with a birthday surprise.
She presented the program for the Community Alliance meeting in March, updating everyone about all the college and career opportunities going on at the high school.
At the end of her program, all of Simmons’ family — husband, grown children and spouses, nieces, nephews and grandchildren, walked into the back of the room, completely catching Simmons by surprise.
Principal Stan Karber planned the surprise to recognize Simmons for her 35 years of teaching at Lincoln and her two years in the new role of career and college coach.
“We want to celebrate her for her investment in the Lincoln community,” Karber said. “The reason they (students) are going to be successful in life is because this lady is pointing them in the right direction.”
Karber noted that Simmons took a new position at the high school, career and college coach, and “ran with it. You can see she’s good at everything she does.”
Simmons started in Lincoln teaching business and expanded into technology over the years. She has a master’s degree in education technology from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
She’s also been a classroom teacher facilitator and after 29 years of teaching was asked to serve as director of the school’s Alternative Education Learning program.
When Lincoln joined a new career coaching program called HIRED, Helping Individuals Reach Employment Dreams, Karber asked Simmons to move from ALE director to become the school’s college and career coach. Simmons is in her second year in the position.
The program is possible through a three-year grant from the Walton Family Foundation and the goal is to make kids employable.
Lincoln and five other rural schools are participating in the program: Gentry, Gravette, Decatur, Huntsville and Greenland.
Simmons said these are all schools, Lincoln in particular, that struggle getting opportunities for their students because of their geographic location.
Gerrie Price, HIRED project coordinator, said the program is creating “pipelines” for students so they can go into high wage, high demand careers, whether or not they go to college.
The objective is that every student “leaves with a good career fit,” Price said. “There’s not a better place to figure out if it is a great fit than while you are in high school so you don’t lose time later figuring it out.”
Price said Lincoln has embraced the program wholeheartedly and Simmons is the “perfect fit” for a career coaching role.
“She has the right amount of teacher, the right amount of ‘mama,’ and the right amount of CTE (career technical education) to really be excellent as a career coach,” Price said.
As far as Simmons is concerned, she has the best job she’s ever had because she gets to see a difference everyday.
“I just want Lincoln kids to know they can do anything,” she said. “Nothing needs to hold them back.”
As college and career coach, Simmons is meeting with college-bound students to help them learn about financial aid, taking the ACT and college admissions. She is taking students to college tours and bringing college recruiters on campus.
Other visits are made to technical centers so that students can see what programs are available at those facilities.
For industry and trades, Simmons has brought in companies with simulation trailers and, in many cases, students are able to apply for jobs that day. She’s brought on-site recruiters to help students learn about internships and apprenticeships.
Simmons also has planned industry tours for her students in childcare, the medical field, skilled trades, cosmetology and business. Other days, students have been able to participate in mock interviews and real interviews.
Simmons said one part she likes about the position is figuring out ways to reach the goals of her students.
As an example, the HIRED program now is working to facilitate a class to help students achieve a commercial driver’s license because many students will need this license for the jobs they plan to pursue. The goal is for her six students to have a CDL when they graduate from high school, she said.
“The most awesome thing is that whatever our kids need in terms of careers and employment, we’ll figure it out. I feel like we owe it to our kids and the community to always look for things to make it better for them.”
At the Community Alliance meeting, Simmons explained the career pathways available at Lincoln High School and these include agriculture, business, computer science, medical, fine arts and concurrent college courses.
New pathways will be available in the future, such as
aviation, electricity and cosmetology pathways and new agri courses that will count toward graduation requirements for math and science.
“Lincoln has always tried to have a progressive vision,” Simmons said. “I don’t think survival is the right word, but it is knowing how to keep our kids in the game.”
Price said the coaches from each of the six schools meet monthly for all-day training sessions and are sharing
projects with each other. She is in the process of applying for a second grant from the Walton Family Foundation that proposes expanding the program to another part of the state.
“Sarah is a rock star,” Price said. “She does great work for kids and I’m proud of this program. I really feel we are changing the way career coaching is done in the state of Arkansas.”