Daryl Rice is an exemplary Career Coach, working at Southern Middle School to help students achieve great success. For the past two decades, he has provided a variety of services to youth and young adult populations in various capacities. His journey began in 2005, when he was an in-school suspension instructor for Calvert County Schools. He moved to being a Juvenile Probation Officer in Prince George’s County. He became a Senior Counselor, running the day-to-day operations of a therapeutic group home and then a Residential Counselor for a lockdown treatment center. Before joining AASCE , he worked for Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland in workforce development as a Youth Program Manager. “I have the innate ability to connect with youth and young adults. I credit this ability to being nonjudgemental and giving them the empowerment to make their own best-informed decisions with my guidance,” said Daryl. “My passion cannot be put into words when it comes to educating and empowering young people, being a positive adult example, and providing the necessary assistance that will allow them to become productive and self-sufficient members of society.”
Tracey’s Elementary Resource Fair
Daryl attended Tracey’s Elementary School’s Resource and Book Fair. Various vendors provided families with information on available resources to meet their needs. He established a connection between elementary and middle school families, informing guests about AASCE services. A few sixth graders from Southern also attended the event. Daryl was even able to connect an AACPS student with workforce services, “I was fortunate to speak with a family that recently moved from Texas that had an 18-year-old son. I was able to share information about Job Corps and the services provided by AAWDC, being he was interested in a career in HVAC.”
Southern Middle School’s Hispanic Heritage Night
Mrs. Thompson, the ELL teacher, organized Southern Middle’s Hispanic Heritage Night and invited Daryl after seeing him at Tracey’s Resource Fair. Hispanic and non-Hispanic families from the community attended the event to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. “I sat alongside some of our students here and participated in the activity and games portion of the event,” Daryl said, “One guest was interested in getting his CDL and a high schooler was interested in getting to know more information on how to apply to CAT-South,” demonstrating how a career coach can inform while connecting with the community.
Activity Highlight
Daryl has run highly successful small group sessions and lunch bunches; however, he is most proud of initiating the Career Club. “Since its implementation, turnout has been steadily increasing each week. I have done activities such as The Human Knot, Career Bingo, Back-to-Back draw. These activities are always geared towards a career development topic such as teamwork, communication, career exploration, etc.” On Wednesdays during morning Flex, a time where students can participate in a schoolwide club or visit and area to have fun before school starts, Daryl hosts Career Club for 30 minutes. Participation is voluntary, and it is a way to connect with all students in Southern Middle.
What Advice Would You Give to Anne Arundel County Students?
“You all have been equipped with the necessary tools and resources to exit High School in a position that will alleviate the ‘what now’ question. Whether it be post-secondary education enrollment via college, apprenticeships, trade schools, etc., or entering straight into the workforce with industry recognized certifications obtained while in high school; you all have been afforded these opportunities by stakeholders that would no longer allow high school graduates enter into adulthood without a solid plan for their future successes. Allow yourselves to be open to new ideas and perspectives, but more importantly, allow yourselves to be coached by professionals that genuinely care about your future aspirations and successes. You no longer have to feel that you have so much to figure out. Allow your Career Coach to help guide you through the process, so you can make your best informed decisions that will best fit you.”
– Daryl Rice, Career Coach at Southern Middle School
