Meet Principal and Site Supervisor Sheanoka Almon
For Sheanoka Almon, the new principal and site supervisor of Southwire’s 12 for Life program, education has always been about more than academics. It is about relationships, opportunity and helping students recognize their own potential.
Credit: Sheanoka Almon & 12 for Life
Her connection to 12 for Life is both professional and deeply personal. As an educator, parent and former student who experienced challenges of her own, Almon understands the lasting impact that encouragement and support can have on a young person’s future.
“I believe one of my greatest strengths is my commitment to building genuine relationships,” Almon said. “My leadership philosophy is simple: people matter.”
Credit: Sheanoka Almon & 12 for Life
That belief has shaped her journey from the classroom to school leadership and now to the helm of a program that brings education and work-based learning together to help students stay on track toward graduation and prepare for life beyond high school.
Almon’s career in education began long before she became a teacher. She started working with children in 1999 through local daycare centers and Head Start programs. She later served in several roles throughout Carroll County and Carrollton schools, including paraprofessional, special education teacher, classroom teacher and assistant principal.
Credit: Sheanoka Almon & 12 for Life
Her educational background reflects that same commitment to growth. Almon earned an associate degree in early childhood care and education from West Georgia Technical College, a Bachelor and Master of Education with a reading endorsement from Mercer University, and a specialist degree in curriculum and instruction from LaGrange College. She also holds an educational leadership certification from the University of West Georgia.
Throughout her career, Almon has worked with students of different ages, backgrounds and learning needs. She has served in several schools across Carroll County School System and held assistant principal positions at Sharp Creek Elementary School and Central High School.
Credit: Sheanoka Almon & 12 for Life
Those experiences prepared her to lead with both compassion and high expectations. However, some of the most important lessons that guide her work came from her own life.
At age 16, Almon became a mother to her daughter, Halle. Before becoming a parent, she was a strong student who attended school regularly and performed well academically. Many people did not realize the personal challenges she was carrying.
Credit: Sheanoka Almon & 12 for Life
After her daughter was born, Almon was away from school for more than 11 weeks and had decided to quit. Her focus was on caring for her child and making the sacrifices she believed motherhood required.
Then, her school counselor, Mrs. Lovvorn, called.
“Get back to school, and we will help you,” she told Almon.
That conversation changed the direction of her life. Her counselor reminded her of her abilities and helped her understand that becoming a young mother did not mean her education had to end. With support from her mother, who helped provide childcare, Almon returned to school.
The journey was not easy. She balanced motherhood, school and employment while working at a local manufacturing plant. Her attendance suffered, and her grades declined, but she continued moving forward and graduated from Woodland High School.
Looking back, Almon believes a program like 12 for Life could have made a meaningful difference during that season of her life.
“I needed a program that recognized my circumstances, provided support and helped me see a pathway forward,” she said.
That personal experience is one reason the opportunity to lead 12 for Life felt like the right next step.
The program is built on a partnership among Southwire, Carroll County Schools, Carrollton City Schools, Bremen City Schools, Haralson County Schools and Heard County Schools. Together, these partners provide students with academic support, work-based learning opportunities and pathways toward graduation and future success.
For Almon, continuing the program’s legacy is about much more than graduation rates.
“12 for Life is about building relationships, creating opportunities and providing students with the skills, support and confidence they need to be successful beyond high school,” she said.
During her first month, Almon has been encouraged by the genuine partnership between Southwire and the participating school systems. She has also enjoyed seeing students succeed in a nontraditional learning environment, earning credits, getting back on track and, in some cases, creating a path toward early graduation.
Looking ahead, she hopes to expand opportunities in areas such as mechatronics while continuing to strengthen partnerships and increase awareness of high demand pathways available through the program.
She also hopes students will see manufacturing in a new light.
“Manufacturing is not a last option,” she said. “It is a meaningful career pathway that provides opportunities for individuals to build skills, support families and create successful futures.”
As she begins this new chapter, Almon wants every student to know that their circumstances do not define their future.
“You are valued, you are capable and you have people who believe in you,” she said.
For the new principal and site supervisor, that message is more than a leadership philosophy. It is the foundation of her own story and the promise she hopes to carry forward at 12 for Life.
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