Iberia Parish students who treasure their testimony of having their lives changed by local JAG programs got a chance to tell leaders from across the country their stories at a recent JAG conference held last month in New Orleans.

“This year our national convention was in New Orleans,” New Iberia Senior High Jobs for America’s Graduates Specialist Nathaniel Mitchell Sr. said. 

“Because of the success of my student Trah’Nae, who is hearing impaired and has had difficulties in front of her that she’s had to overcome, our state officials asked if she would be willing to make a presentation before state officials to explain how JAG has helped her,” Mitchell said.

It was an invitation the once shy volleyball player accepted graciously.

“I told them about me playing volleyball and how it made me feel good and how people would clown the way I talked because I am hearing impaired,” Trah’Nae St. Julien, 18, said. She will be a senior at New Iberia Senior High School.

“I was depressed I was on medication. I feel better now,” she said.

Trah’Nae’s mother, Anegra, said she couldn’t be more proud of her daughter’s speech. She said building up her daughter’s confidence is one of the major reasons she sought a JAG classroom for help.

“I alway used to tell Trah’Nae that she has no control over other people’s opinion. She just always has to be the best at what she does,” Anegra St. Julien said.  

Because of her daughter’s lowered self-esteem when it came to how others viewed her, Anegra said Trah’Nae would build up walls that would keep people at a distance. Mitchell’s love and support through JAG has helped her blossom she said.  

Trah’Nae’s hope for her future now includes obtaining a volleyball scholarship to University of Louisiana at Lafayette and one day becoming a volleyball coach. 

“Because of the outreach we have with our students and the extra nine yards that we go through to see that our kids are successful. We take those marginal kids and those kids that may be a little less than marginal, those kids who have difficulties,” Mitchell said. “We give them the support to help get them to the next level.”

That next level help includes life skill lessons such as budgeting and opening a checking account as well as a full 12-month follow up postgraduation to assist with higher education and/ or job resumes.

Nineteen-year-old Shaquailyn JohnLouis, a 2017 graduate of Jeanerette High School, also spoke at the conference and also had lots of praise for the  program she credits for stopping her life from spinning out of control. She now attends the University of New Orleans and is majoring in biomedical studies.

“It was mainly because I was allowed to be myself and I could have a relationship with the students and the teacher. It was something a regular class didn’t offer,” JohnLouis said.

She told hundreds gathered at the conference that her life was like a tube of toothpaste that was oozing out of control and JAG was the cap that helped her put things in order.

“Me and my mom’s relationship was never nothing easy or typical,” JohnLouis said 

“With JAG, Mrs. Sharon  Boutte pulled me in and gave me a way of looking at things. I didnt know nothing as far as life and I was able to open up to her and it helped with my relationships with my brothers and others,” she said.

Boutte, who has been a JAG Specialist at JHS for the past four years, said she is aware she may be the only love a student receives in a day’s time and she’s passionate about her role. 

“I think in the core class they have more of a structured setting to meet guidelines and objectives in JAG. We base it on the student,” Boutte said. “If we have a plan to talk about budgeting and my student comes in and says I had a bad night last night, well we’re not talking budget, we’re talking about how to get you through what happened last night,” she said. 

In Iberia Parish there are JAG programs in five schools throughout the district. Specialists in the program are Revon Spain at Anderson Middle School, Cynthia Jackson at Iberia Middle School, Sharon Boutte at Jeanerette High School, Ellis Bonaventure at Westgate High School and Sergeo Guzman and Mitchell at New Iberia Senior High School.

JohnLewis said she strongly recommends the program for any student in need of direction

“I would tell them that JAG would heal you. JAG would be that cap, “ JohnLouis said.  

“It will help you look at things different. It will be that whisper in your ear to tell you you can get through it and life’s not over.”