10/29/2026
In Recognition of National Dropout Prevention Month, we highlight Drew Jordan, Program Director for the CIS Action for Success Program.
Drew has been with CIS for the past 11 years, working in various capacities. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. He says he chose to work with Communities In Schools because it has a strong track record of producing great student outcomes, and he wanted to be in a position to have a lasting, positive impact on students and provide them with support and guidance that he felt he needed when he was in school. CIS Brunswick has given him a great opportunity to be a positive role model and have a lasting positive impact on the students he has had the pleasure of working with.
Drew shares that he has been most surprised by the positive relationships he has been able to build with students he worked with in his prior Success Coach role, which has carried on beyond their time on his caseload. He shares that still to this day he has students who he runs into in the community or at some of the schools that are eager to share updates on school, sports they play, clubs they’re in and jobs they’re working.
For Drew, the most rewarding aspect of his role with CIS has been seeing the moment things click for a student after all of the hard work they’ve put in to working towards their goals. Nothing is more rewarding than knowing they’re achieving great things and making strides towards endless possibilities in their future.
When asked what the most challenging part of his role has been he quickly explains, “Data, data, DATA. Data is great, but it’s a lot to keep up with. However, the outcomes for the students make it worth all the time spent entering and reviewing the data”.
Reflecting on moments of pride, Drew shared, “When I first started with CIS of Brunswick County, I was the first Success Coach at the school I was assigned to. It took a lot of hard work to build lasting relationships and a strong reputation for the Action for Success program at that school and, even now that I’m out of that role, I still see the relationships between that program and the school and I see our new CIS staff there continuing to support students beyond the classroom”.
Drew believes the biggest challenge the students with whom he has worked face is having access to additional support outside of the typical school day. Schools have become a great community hub for resources, but once students go home for the day/weekend, those resources stop at the door.
During his time in a Success Coach role, as well as now in his role as a Program Director, Drew still works to support his former students outside of school and motivate them to do well in school by keeping in contact with their families, cheering them on at sporting events after school hours and on weekends, and checking-in with them about how they’re doing in school. Although his title and role with CIS has changed, Drew still sees himself as being a mentor to all of his former students and continuing to support them on their journey through school and through life.
Drew would like the community to understand that our work isn’t possible without having dedicated CIS staff and school staff who are present day in and day out to support our students and families. It takes a village to meet the needs of our youth, and the public can help in our mission to support students and families through volunteering or donating to support the work we do here in Brunswick County.
When it comes to the relationships our staff build with students, Drew shared that he has many stories from his time as a Success Coach, so it’s hard to highlight just one. He has countless memories of the students he has worked with over the past decade. He had one student who was absent 47 days in the previous school year that he worked with to improve attendance, and the following year she got her absences down to only 22 unexcused absences and then met her goal the next year. This resulted in her earning a reward which was for Drew to wear all hot pink on the last day of school, along with a hot pink wig. (He notes, not his preferred color by the way!) He also had a student in the former 21st Century Community Learning Center After School Program who he worked with on academics and homework. He recently heard from her that she has been accepted into college. She reached out to tell him about her acceptance and what she’s majoring in.
Drew has had many successful students throughout his career with CIS of Brunswick County, and although he could not share all of their stories, he made it clear he is proud of all of those students, and proud to have had the opportunity to have worked with them at one point or another in their academic journey. Drew states he looks forward to seeing what great heights they continue to reach as they journey through life.
Finally, Drew shared, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to build my career with Communities In Schools and for the opportunities I’ve had to serve my community. I look forward to continuing to find new ways to mentor youth and be a resource to the students and families of Brunswick County.”
