I am Mrs. Maddox, Career Tech Counselor at Harrison County Career Tech Center.

 My experience with military families spans four decades and began when I married a United States Air Force Airman.  As a military family we learned to regularly deal with relocation and separation.  We had two children who once attended three different schools in one school year.  Our son is now active duty Air Force, and his wife and daughters experience similar challenges.

My professional experience with military families includes teaching for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools at Lajes High School, Azores, Portugal, while we were stationed there. I also worked as a Certifying Official for the Office of Veterans Affairs at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.  As a National Certified School Counselor in a community that serves Keesler AFB, the CB Base, Coast Guard, National Guard and Reserves from every branch of service, I work with military kids daily. 

I have a heart for military children and military families, and I welcome the opportunity to serve military children at the Career Tech Center.  You can reach me by phone at 228-832-6652 or by email at rmaddox@harrison.k12.ms.us.

I am Ms. Wease, Student Services Coordinator for Harrison County Career Tech Center.

As a teacher for the Harrison County School District for over twenty years, and as the Harrison County Career Tech Student Services Coordinator for the past two, I have had the opportunity to teach and work with a number of students who are from a military family.  Some have managed to stay in one location for their education, often having to adjust to one parent being deployed, while others have moved from one location to another, changing schools each time. 

Each student's circumstances are different, as are their needs.  The importance of forming good relationships within the classroom with these students is critical so that needs can be met.   Also, it is imperative that any educational gaps are determined early on so assistance in closing them can begin sooner rather than later. 

You can reach me by phone at 228-832-6652 or by email at lwease@harrison.k12.ms.us.

Harrison County Career Tech Center has a student-led military transition program to assist military-connected students transferring into the school.  The Military Transition Team provides a peer support system that links military-connected students in a network to help familiarize students with the school, resources, and opportunities.

Please contact Mrs. Maddox at 228-832-6652 or rmaddox@harrison.k12.ms.us for more information about the Military Transition Team or for a referral for assistance with your transition into Harrison County Career Tech Center.

Meet Omari Garner, Military Transition Team Leader
Hello, my name is Omari Garner! I am a student-athlete of Harrison Central & more importantly, a military child. Being the child of not one, but two military parents has altered my life significantly. Not only did it involve relocation, but also times where I would go months without seeing one of my parents. This instilled in me independence from an early age that I would go on to make one of my strong suits.

Another way I benefited from this was exposure to different environments and people. Starting in San Diego California, I’ve been through Arizona, Virginia, Washington D.C. and now Mississippi. When it comes to my upbringing, there would times where I stayed with my grandparents for months, or even years, at a time. This of course was challenging as there were things in and out of school I may not have been able to experience or be a part of. With that said, I am proud to say I have made a great name for myself and can happily call Gulfport, MS home!

Military Child Education Coalition, whose mission is to support all military-connected children by educating, advocating, and collaborating to resolve education challenges associated with the military lifestyle.

MCEC’s strategic goals:

• Military-connected children’s academic, social and emotional needs are recognized, supported and appropriate responses provided.
• Parents, and other supporting adults, are empowered with the knowledge to ensure military-connected children are college, workforce and life-ready.
• A strong community of partners is committed to support an environment where military-connected children thrive.

Click on the MCEC logo to visit their site and access resources for students and parents.

MCEC's Military Child Well-Being Toolkit is an excellent resource for supporting good mental health with military kids.  Click HERE!

Educational support for Career Tech students is available through Mrs. Maddox, Career Tech Counselor, and Ms. Wease, Student Services Coordinator. Exceptional Student support for Career Tech students with IEP or 504 accommodations is available through Mrs. Wease.  They can be reached at 228-832-6652 or by email at rmaddox@harrison.k12.ms.us or lwease@harrison.k12.ms.us.