Meet Ms. Jeeter

Hello!

My name is Latoya Jeeter and I am an elementary school career specialist at a Richland School District Two in Columbia, South Carolina. The atmosphere in the district I am employed is incredibly inspiring. Education has always been important to me. I love school! I think my passion for education may somewhat stem from my love of creating career lessons, being creative in my teaching strategies and the summers off, but that is a whole other story.

If you would have asked me in high school what I wanted to be when I grew up, with no hesitation I would say a social worker My social worker career began way before I was able to walk, talk, see or do; I was adopted at 2 hours old in New York City. The relationships I built with my Social Worker in the Division of Social Welfare in Queens, NY would follow me up until my 23rd birthday here in South Carolina. I wanted to help people in any shape or form, so I graduated high school as a first generation adopted child of my 7 adopted siblings. It was truly the beginning of a career of accomplishments and success. I graduated with leadership honors from Columbia College with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, minor in Social Work and Leadership in 2009 and in 2013, I fulfilled my dream of being a social worker when I graduated with high honors from the University of South Carolina with a Master of Social Work. However, my interest in serving in direct social work practice shifted when I was offered a job through LinkedIn at my Alma Mater, Columbia College, to serve as a Career Coach to my future C'Sters... and this is where my career has taken off!

Presently, I serve as one of four awesome Career Development Facilitators (Career Specialists) assigned to five awesome schools (Catawba Trail Elementary, Pontiac Elementary, Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary (also where I went as a child!!!), Windsor Elementary, and North Springs Elementary). I have worked in Careers for almost 6 years, directly and indirectly, helping people of all ages learn more about careers and how to find their passion through career exploration and activities. It was bittersweet when I found my calling in the field of Career and Technical Education in 2013. I enjoy teaching and educating the community on careers and learning more about their strengths and their skills as early as four years old! I aspire to serve in a leadership role with in the field of Career and Workforce Development in the future, but for right now, I simply want to continue working with all of the principals, teachers, staff, and students on the importance of early career and college awareness. Honestly, there's no greater joy than seeing the smiles on my student's faces when they learn a new skill or a new job/career option available to them!

In my spare time, I love to read Greek Mythology, Victorian Novels, and Self-Help books to nurture my love of learning. Some hobbies include doing makeup, going to concerts, traveling solo, and playing The Sims. I currently take care of my elderly parents and reside in Elgin, South Carolina. I have 6 nieces, 6 nephews and an adorable turtle named "Toya". I am big on family and truly could not be here without the dedication of my parents.