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Award-Winning Career Readiness for Special Education Students 

Guidance & SupportStories & Spotlights
Meet Jenn Burnette

At Hoosier College and Career Academy (HCCA), we’re focused on our students’ futures. For some students, that means continuing education through college. For others, it’s entering the workforce and starting their careers. No matter the student, we want them to have the education, tools, and resources needed to enter the world with confidence. 

At HCCA, special education students have dedicated teachers and counselors to help them get ready for the next phase of their lives, including Jenn Burnette. Jenn is HCCA’s College and Career Readiness Coordinator for Special Programs. She works with students across the state to ensure they’re excited about and ready for life after high school. In this role, Jenn also spearheads HCCA’s partnership with IN*SOURCE, a state-funded program that supports special education students’ transition from school to the workforce. 

Students meet once per week virtually with IN*SOURCE to: 

  • Learn how to advocate for themselves. 
  • Student-led annual case reviews. 
  • Independent living skills. 
  • Build resumes. 
  • Participate in mock job interviews. 
  • Explore jobs and job shadow. 
  • And more. 

HCCA is the first school to collaborate with INSOURCE on a basic skills development course, in which students can begin building life skills directly with their teachers during the school day, while also receiving guidance from INSOURCE transition coordinators, who continue working with them after graduation. 

Through the collaboration, we have seen students: 

  • Gain confidence. 
  • Think about what’s next. 
  • Feel prepared for change and become excited for it. 
  • Build personal relationships with mentors who invest in them. 
  • Learn new ways to be successful if academics aren’t their strong suit. 

“When we have to let go of the students because they’re graduating, we know they have someone else supporting them,” said Jenn. “That’s the best gift we can give them.” 

For her work to build a collaboration between HCCA and IN*SOURCE, Jenn received the Collaborator Educator Excellence Award at the Indiana Educational Excellence Awards Gala in November 2025. Instead of accepting the $1,500 prize, she used the money to donate toys through her church for the Shepherd Community Center’s annual Christmas drive. 

“These students just need a cheerleader,” said Jenn. “We have a tremendous opportunity to pour into them and give them what they need to be successful when they leave high school. It’s incredibly rewarding.” 

HCCA is committed to ensuring every student is ready for what’s next. To learn more about enrollment, explore our options, and reach out with any questions. 

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