“The best part for me is when these young adults actually graduate high school, and I get to watch the trajectory of their young adulthood, and how they’re moving and growing, and keeping in touch to be a part of their trajectory after they’re out of the program,” she said. “I still know kids who started when they were in seventh grade and now are in college or graduated from college.”

That includes being a part of military send-offs, celebrating accomplishments with families, going to weddings, meeting their children and more.

Jones-Waters was named director of LPP about nine years ago after first working with Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), and the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) – federal and state-funded programs administered by the K-12 University Center at Rochester Institute of Technology, where she has worked since 2009.

As director, Jones-Waters is tasked with leading the LPP team in day-to-day operations. However, while not necessarily in her job description, she said she still finds time to be embedded within the schools the program serves to work with students, help in recruitment and connect with other school leaders.

“I sit there with the kids day in and day out, and the students know me,” she said. “All the other work outside of being a director helps take the burden off the staff, and gains rapport and trust with the school and the kids you work with, and the team we’ve created. I have a really great team and we’re super close.”

LPP is a state-funded program founded under the umbrella of the New York State Education Department, with a location at RIT’s K-12 center. It was first created in 1988 as a dropout prevention service, and evolved to provide a variety of academic and personal supports to eligible students. The local program currently serves students from Greece Olympia Junior and Senior High School, and University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men in Rochester, with a goal to increase its services to other schools eligible for the program based on state requirements.

Jones-Waters has an undergraduate degree in business with a minor in accounting, where she studied at SUNY Brockport and Excelsior University; and a master’s degree from Medaille College in organizational leadership.

When not working, you can find Jones-Waters in the Rochester area – calling it a passion to be a bigger part of the community she loves. She sits on several boards including the Rochester Regional Coalition Against Human Trafficking, state advisory board for LPP, is the president of the local chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho and more.

In March 2023, it was announced that Jones-Waters was nominated for a Women of Excellence award through the Rochester Business Journal.