Students with life barriers and challenging situations now have a new opportunity to get help through a course called JAG-K.

JAG-K is a non-profit organization that stands for Jobs for America’s Graduates of Kansas. The new teacher, Dr. Pangie Burns, has specifically prepared for this type of job by having a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Science Education. Also known as Theory and Practice of Teaching and Learning.

“I love helping students graduate, whether it’s high school day, whether it’s college, I want to help them get to the next level. And I want to connect them with the resources to make that happen. A lot of times they don’t know what the resources are. So we find out what they want then once we find out what they want then we help them to commit to that next level,” Dr. Pangie Burns, JAG-K career Specialist, said. “It makes the transition a little easier because they’re already afraid, but I like helping people through those transitions cause I know how scary that can be.”

According to the JAG-K website, the 2017 class had some impressive statistics: a graduation rate of 97 percent statewide, 84 percent successfully employed or on their way to employment, 68 programs in 33 school districts with about 3,100 students. Still, they want to help more students succeed.

Their goal is to help students facing various barriers to success, then overcome those barriers, earn their high school diploma and start themselves on a successful career path.

“It’s just to help us graduate and it’s kind of like a study hall and she like helps us out with stuff like jobs and all that too,” Caleb Jackson, junior, said. “Mrs. Pangie, she’s really nice, like she’ll help you out with anything you need even like out of school and you like text her or whatever she’ll come to help you. And like she wants to see you succeed so she’ll do everything she can.”