Sussex Tech names Educational Support Professional of the Year

Sussex Tech’s Domineque Scott was named the Sussex County Vocational Technical School District’s 2024-25 Educational Support Professional of the Year. 

Scott, who grew up in Milton, has worked at Sussex Tech for four years, currently working as coordinator of student activities and student government. She oversees the Student Government Association and helps to organize school dances, pep rallies, Powder Puff games and other activities.

“The majority of [my job] revolves around doing activities to reward the students for performing well in the classroom,” Scott said. “We try our best to do as many things as we can to support them [and] excite them, so then they want to come to school.”

She has always been interested in education and working with kids, and she’s currently getting her master’s to become a school counselor.

“I’m interested in being able to understand the social-emotional side of kids too, and being there as a support system,” she said.

She aims to foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome and heard. 

“Student activities act as a placemat, providing a welcoming space for everyone to come together, and the school community is the table that supports these student interactions, fostering connections and collaboration among all members,” she said.

While she tries to act as a voice of the people, it’s simply impossible to appease everyone, she said. She has to make decisions on behalf of students, and while she does so based on their feedback, not everyone is going to be happy with the prom or Homecoming theme, for example.

She essentially works for the students, making decisions she thinks would best suit them. 

“We ultimately drive the ship, but [the students] kind of lead it,” she said. “It is hard to please the masses … but we do our best.”

In her role, she is not confined to a classroom, allowing her to see all different elements of the school and interact with individuals at all levels.

She described her work, and that of many educational support professionals in general, as fast-paced. 

“It’s a bouncing ball,” Scott said. “As soon as we come in, there’s so much stuff that we have to do, but the ball might bounce right, left, up, down, whatever. There’s so much going on, and it’s a matter of trying to process that. No day is the same.”

Executing an event from start to finish and interacting with students are the highlights of her work, she said.

Nathan Young, Sussex Tech’s sophomore student body president, who has worked with Scott through SGA, said his experience with her has been amazing.

“She’s really creative when it comes to planning the student activities, and she really steps out of the box with the things she does,” Young said. “Ms. Scott’s the best.”