Welcome to the Academy for Success School Counseling website! As the school counselor, I support students in grades 6–12 with academic achievement, personal and social development, and college and career readiness. This site provides students, families, and staff with information, resources, and tools to support student success at school and beyond.
Hello, Wolfpack! I am Juanita Caldwell, and I am proud to serve as the school counselor at the Academy for Success. I have devoted more than 26 years to education and school counseling and have served the Academy for Success community since 2013. Throughout my career, I have supported students and families as they navigated academic concerns, personal challenges, school transitions, graduation planning, and preparation for life beyond high school.
I am a wife and the very proud mother of two young adults who are both pursuing their college education. My daughter, Bre’Anna, is a graduate student at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where she is studying to become a school counselor. My son, Jaelan, is a college freshman majoring in Biological Science.
I have always shared parts of my family’s journey with the students and families I serve because I believe genuine relationships begin when we allow people to know us, not only as professionals, but also as individuals. Supporting Bre’Anna and Jaelan through their educational journeys has deepened my understanding of the hopes, concerns, sacrifices, and decisions parents experience as they help their children grow into independent young adults.
As both a school counselor and a parent, I know that every child’s path is different. I understand the importance of young people having adults who will listen, advocate for them, offer honest guidance, provide accountability, celebrate their progress, and continue believing in them during difficult seasons.
My why is deeply personal. I have always wanted to be for young people the person I needed when I was their age. I want to be a trusted adult who listens without immediately judging, notices when something is wrong, offers guidance when the next step is unclear, and continues to see potential even when a young person is struggling to see it within themselves.
I understand how much one caring adult can influence a young person’s confidence, choices, and direction. Sometimes students need encouragement. Sometimes they need accountability, advocacy, practical support, or simply a safe place to pause and gather their thoughts. Whatever the need may be, I want students to know they do not have to navigate every challenge alone.
I believe every student deserves to be seen, heard, supported, and given meaningful opportunities to succeed. Their current circumstances, past decisions, or challenges should never determine the limits of their future. A difficult chapter is not the end of their story.
My goal is for students to leave the Academy for Success with greater confidence, a clearer sense of direction, and the tools to make positive decisions in school, work, relationships, and life. Most importantly, I want every student who enters my office to know that they matter, their voice matters, and their future is still being written.
I look forward to partnering with you and your student throughout their time at the Academy for Success. Please feel free to contact me with questions, concerns, or whenever additional support may be helpful. Working together, we can help your student grow, make positive choices, and move confidently toward a successful future.
Email: jmcaldwe@lexrich5.org
Phone: 803-575-5300