Have you ever wondered who supports students who are struggling with issues inside and outside of school? Meet East Success Workers Carlos James and Larry Johnson.
Many students at East wonder exactly what a Success Worker does. James and Johnson would describe this as a dropout prevention program that is a bridge between the school and families.
This program is needed because when a student is in middle school, parents tend to be more involved but when a student is in high school and over the age of 17, parents tend to be less involved or the dynamic at home could be complicated, leaving the student with less support. This is where James and Johnson come in.
James is motivated because he knows it’s his calling.
“It’s the work we do,” James said.

Both James and Johnson used to work with juveniles and their journeys have brought them to East where they use their past experiences daily.
James played professional football before working with students. He also got a degree in sociology and always knew he wanted to work with kids.
Johnson got a minor in Psychology then later was hired for Success. He started at Harding Middle School then worked at Goodrell Middle School before transferring to East. It will be 10 years in January that Johnson has been at East.
Johnson remembers running into a former student and how amazing that made him feel.
“That right there tells me I did my job,” Johnson said
Both James and Johnson have developed strong relationships and connections with their students and that isn’t always easy.
Students that Johnson works with know that they can trust him.
Some struggles their students face are social skills. For example, getting a job is hard for students who don’t have the resources. Both James and Johnson are there to provide help to build these social skills for any situation, including things like clothing and hygiene.
Although the job is sometimes difficult, Johnson and James are able to stay motivated when they see their students succeed. They assist all students who need help with personal issues and basic needs support etc. They get to know students and families on a more personal level.
“They know the students, they know the families,” Principal Jill Versteeg said.
Versteeg feels blessed she can count on James and Johnson to jump in and help students and families when in need.
“They have good hearts that care about our students,” Versteeg said.