If you’ve ever stepped into Mrs. Shonda Yates’ classroom at Franklin Central, you know almost immediately that it is not a typical class. Students come and go throughout the day, conversations are happening, laughter isn’t unusual, and the tone feels different—in the best possible way. Mrs. Yates is making a difference at Franklin Central by leading the school’s Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program. While the curriculum is rooted in career readiness and life skills, what students talk about most is the positive relationship and environment she has created and how they feel safe, known, and cared for when they’re in her room.
FC Junior Chandler Purnell summed it up well. “There are so many ways that Mrs. Yates has made a difference in my learning,” Chandler said. “Starting with her ability to build connections with each individual in her class… Mrs. Yates always makes an effort to get to know any and everyone in her room at all times. She fights for us like we are her own children. I have never felt alone in her room because I know that there’s at least one person around me who cares about me more than anything.”
That sense of connection is intentional and is paired with very real, very purposeful learning. FC Class of '25 alum Upasana Choudhury shared how directly the program has impacted her life. “Mrs. Yates is the most cheerful and supportive person in FC,” Upasana said. “She helped me learn so much about resumes, credit cards, and interview skills. I even got my first job because of her.”
JAG itself has been around for more than 40 years. It originally started as a program designed to help students graduate, particularly those facing barriers that made staying in school more difficult. Over time, it has grown into something broader, focused on career development, leadership, communication, financial literacy, and the kinds of “adulting” skills students don’t always get to practice elsewhere.
At Franklin Central, Mrs. Yates teaches the 37 core employability competencies in the JAG model, guiding students through purposeful learning of different levels of understanding and mastery. Students engage in meaningful collaboration with Mrs. Yates as they work with her to create an Individualized Development Plan, setting goals and identifying action steps for the year. Her approach is clear and consistent: growth matters more than perfection, and learning how to keep moving forward is just as important as getting things right the first time.
Mrs. Yates has had 54 students enrolled in the JAG program this year. In addition, students remain connected to the program for a full year after graduation. Right now, she also has 17 former students with whom she provides follow-up mentoring throughout their first year post-graduation.
For many students, what makes the biggest difference is the environment she creates. “Mrs. Yates always makes sure she has a smile on her face and ensures we are always working in groups, and nobody’s left out,” Upasana added. “I made so many friends in JAG because of this, and we are still in contact.”
Mrs. Yates is making a difference by fostering a sense of belonging that keeps coming up again and again. “Mrs. Yates puts emphasis on JAG being a family rather than a class,” Chandler said. “We do about a million team bonding games and activities every day to ensure everyone is included and comfortable. I’ve personally met so many people that I never would have interacted with if I had not joined JAG.”
FC Senior Edwin Gomez described the feeling the moment you walk through the door. “You walk in, and it really feels more like a little house and your family is sitting in there waiting for you,” Edwin said. He also shared how meaningful her guidance has been. “For a long time, I was stuck and didn’t know what I was going to do… Ms. Yates helped me find that path, and now I know where I belong.”
Anytime you talk with Mrs. Yates, she quickly shifts the focus away from herself and back to her students. She does not want to talk about how Empowered, an educational resource for over 70,000 educators, featured her in their December issue and highlighted one of her lessons. Instead, her focus remains on how genuinely blessed she feels to work with her students and on the belief that many don’t yet realize how capable they are. “Most of them don’t realize it yet. They are really gifted,” she said, and resilience is one of the traits she sees most often. Despite the challenges many students face, including frequent transitions and instability, she has deep hope for their future and believes helping them develop character, empathy, and confidence is the true measure of success.
Her focus on making a difference through purposeful learning extends beyond her classroom. Each year, she takes Seniors on a field trip intentionally focused on deepening their understanding of the world we live in. Earlier this year, Mrs. Yates took this year’s Seniors to a local hospice home that serves people who do not have family to care for them. Students spent time simply sitting with residents, listening to their stories, talking with them, and learning from them. For students, it was a powerful reminder that connection and compassion matter just as much as résumés and interview skills. Mrs. Yates shared, “If I can teach them empathy skills, then that’s a win.”
That belief stays with students long after they leave Franklin Central. Jackson Goodwin, a JAG alum, said what stood out to him was how personally Mrs. Yates invested in her students. “For me, it wasn’t about what she taught, but how she taught it,” he said. “She isn’t just a teacher—she’s someone who remembers the bits of your life you tell her, and she checks in every now and then.”
Mrs. Yates says those moments when students recognize their own growth are the moments that matter most. “It is truly powerful to see and hear students talk proudly about a goal they achieved,” she said. “The energy in the room changes. Students begin cheering each other on, and you can almost feel their confidence growing as they speak.”
And that’s really the heart of it. While JAG provides structure, skills, and opportunities, it is the deep passion Mrs. Yates has for making a difference that goes far beyond a program or a curriculum. She has created a space where students feel safe enough to try, supported enough to fail, and confident enough to keep going. In a busy school day, her classroom stands out as a place where purposeful learning and meaningful collaboration happen every day—where students grow not just because of what they’re taught, but because they’re supported, challenged, and believed in.