WOMEN LEAD CHANGE: Harris dedicated to helping youth find their paths

Mar. 30—She is all about helping children make all the right moves.

Tiffany Harris has taught them to dance for the past two decades.

She has counseled them about the dangers of addiction.

And, she drives high schoolers to believe in themselves, graduate and find their career paths.

"Tiffany has been a leader in our community for many years," said Clinton Community Schools Superintendent Gary DeLacy. "CCSD was fortunate to receive her passion and energy through the iJag program. Tiffany has used this avenue to positively influence many CHS students."

IJAG stands for Iowa Jobs for America's Graduates. An education specialist for grades 11 and 12, Harris has led the program for four years.

"Part of her efforts resulted in a 100% graduation rate from last year's seniors in the iJag program," DeLacy said.

The program helps students explore careers and higher education options. Being able to help them overcome doubts and more, to experience success, is extremely rewarding.

"Kids who come in without a purpose and don't think they have a chance, and to see them walk across that stage and to thank you for the reward that you helped them get there, that's a benefit in itself," Harris said. "It's a huge reward."

Those students gain confidence, awareness of their options and a support system to help them to graduation and beyond. Post graduation contact is an important facet of the program.

"I have to follow the kids a year after they graduate, so I stay in contact with them every month," she said, adding, "If I don't call them they'll call me."

In checking in with them to see how they are doing, she is available to help them tap resources they might need or help with steps such as resume building.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Harris came to Clinton to attend Mount St. Clare College as a sociology major and stayed here after the birth of her daughter.

She went to work for New Directions, which later merged with became ASAC, as a certified preventive specialist for substance abuse.

"I always wanted to work with kids in some capacity," she said. "That got me started working with kids. We had a mentoring program, so I was able to mentor youth — mentoring them and teaching them the dangers of alcohol and drugs."

She then went to work for iJAG, which today has 155 programs statewide and that cumulatively serves at least 7,200 students annually, she said. In Clinton, she annually has 50 to 60 students.

"We wish we could have the whole school go through, but we can't do that many," she said, adding class sizes should be around 18 to be most effective.

Helping students find career paths begins with a career interest survey.

"Then we go out and do employer engagement," Harris said. "So we take them out into the real world to where they go on field trips to different colleges, if they want the college path, or in the field of manufacturing, trades and all that stuff, so they can see what's out there, to see if that's something they truly want to do."

Examples include visits to Purina, Custom Pak, the Chicago Bulls arena and Six Flags amusement park.

"There are so many jobs at the arena other than playing basketball," Harris said. "Typically, we set up a meeting with their human resources director and they tell all about the careers at their agency, at their arena."

She's brings many community members into class as guest speakers from the Clinton community such as bankers, Realtors, lawyers and members of the construction trades.

The biggest challenge she faces in the iJag program comes from the students, she said. She spends a lot of time encouraging them to put in the work and finishing it, all along helping them find their purposes in life.

Harris has received community recognition, including the Human Rights Commission Distinguished Citizen Award, The Peace and Justice Award, The Clinton Smiles Award and the Gold Key from the school district.

She also has led a dance troupe for ages 5 to 17 for more than 20 years. Since 2016, they added team competition dancing, which takes them around the country to perform.

Overall, she is encouraged by the Clinton community.

"It gives people the opportunity to have something to do in our community. They really try to bring things in that cater to all, whether people see it or not," she said. "We could say, 'We don't have this. We don't have that,' but there really is stuff to do here in Clinton, it's just that you have to find your passion that you want to do."