Career Coach Becky Tullos Creates Opportunities For Pearl High School Students

Longtime community leader thrives while helping 1,500 students in her hometown

Career coach Becky Tullos has come full circle in her 30-year career without having to leave her hometown of Pearl, Mississippi—and she wants to help her students at Pearl High School find the same opportunities she had.

“We try really hard here to make sure that when a student graduates, they have some sort of plan, whether that means enrolling in technical academic training, on-the-job training or classes to further their education,” Tullos says. “And not just employed, but working toward a job or career that's sustainable, with a livable wage and growth opportunities.”

Tullos has been fully invested in her community all her life, from working as an educator at her alma mater Pearl High School to leading a dropout prevention program and coordinating student services at a career and technical center. She also served on the Pearl Board of Aldermen from 2009 to 2017.

“The opportunity to contribute to the school and community that shaped me into who I am today was pretty much a no-brainer,” she says. “It’s been a good opportunity for me to merge my passion for helping others and my love for this community.”

In her first academic year as a career coach, Tullos has focused on helping students who aren’t sure what they want to do after high school. Drawing from her past experiences as an education and community leader where she learned the true value of relationship building, she works in conjunction with the school’s work-based learning teacher and transition coordinator to place students in jobs.

“It's amazing to me the number of factories, businesses and industries here that are always looking to hire people,” she says. “Hopefully being a career coach, making those connections, staying in touch with those people, I can help secure some really sustainable jobs for students.”

In her inaugural term, Tullos has coordinated events like a career-only fair for students looking to join the workforce after they graduate. At the career fair, students networked with businesses and industries that are willing to hire new graduates and help them through certifications and training. She has also used the relationships she’s grown over the years to place students in programs with employers so they can find if they want to pursue their field of interest as a career.

After a recent visit to Hinds Community College’s Diesel Technology Academy, one student who showed interest realized he didn’t want to pursue that path, after all. Tullos then went to work to learn about his other interests. It turned out the student was intrigued by architecture and had even completed a secondary architecture and drafting program at a local career tech center. A few phone calls later, she learned the Central Mississippi Planning and Development District was looking for students just like him.

“They were thrilled to find out there was a student out there who was familiar with the programs they use, and they wanted to work with him while he was going to Hinds,” she says. 

Looking ahead to the following classes of graduates, Tullos meets with large groups of ninth, tenth and eleventh graders to let them know she’s available to help them decide on a career path and find opportunities to turn it into reality. She also created a program called Career Callbacks, an opportunity for Pearl High School to build a network of alumni who are willing to share experiences about their personal careers and career growth.

“As an educator of 30 years, I know as well as anyone that the sustainability of a career is not solely derived from a substantial paycheck,” she says. “True sustainability is when you can earn a livable wage engaging in something you love and are genuinely passionate about. I’m grateful I’m still experiencing that myself—that is what I want for my students.”

AccelerateMS serves the people and businesses of Mississippi by developing and deploying workforce strategies to connect individuals with transformative, high-paying careers. By leveraging resources and partnering with organizations that hold complementary missions, AccelerateMS effectuates positive change, creating sustained individual, community, and statewide economic prosperity.

Learn more at www.coaches.acceleratems.org/.