Staff Spotlight: JaNica Gothwright

JaNica Gothwright 

Program Coordinator

JaNica is a passionate individual with almost 20 years of community service work. Before joining the Breakthrough family, she worked at San Marcos Job Corps for almost 10 years as an Advisor supporting students with vocational trades and careers, many of whom were first-generation students. Service to others is something that has been ingrained in her at a very young age. She is excited and honored to bring her knowledge to support Breakthrough students and their families.

JaNica holds a Bachelor in Science in Social Psychology and an Associate in Science in Human Services. She enjoys being active in her church, all things chocolate, and hanging out with her 5 grandkids!   

What is JaNica’s role?

At Breakthrough, we believe one of our roles as advisers is to prepare students to be competitive college applicants, defining college as pursuing a postsecondary education that allows a student to attain a bachelor’s degree, associate degree, or credential/certificate while pursuing their passions and preparing for their career. And, JaNica is here to help us do just that. Her role is composed of a mixture of activities, some of which are leading efforts to build out our service model for unenrolled students and develop pipelines for trade/vocational pathways.

What JaNica likes most about working at Breakthrough:

JaNica has really enjoyed her time at Breakthrough. What she enjoys most is seeing students fulfill THEIR vision of success. We believe in listening with care, sharing resources, offer guidance, and build capacity.

JaNica’s goals for the next few months/years? 

Her goals for the future at Breakthrough is to help strengthen re-engagement efforts for limited service students and develop resources for team training and College and Career Success Team distribution. At Breakthrough, Limited Service is when a student has not been engaged with Breakthrough or is not pursuing postsecondary education. Our goal is to make sure our students feel supported and help them achieve any path of their choosing.

What JaNica wishes people knew about Breakthrough:

She wishes people knew how incredibly impactful Breakthrough is for the students, families, and our community. She expresses, “I know it sounds REALLY corny but Breakthrough really does help to change lives. I’m so grateful to be apart of the Breakthrough team.”