Clifton Coates received his Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism/Broadcasting from Bowie State University in 1984. Mr. Coates, an educator of the past 21 years, began his teaching career in Baltimore City Public Schools in the Resident Teacher Certificate Program. He returned to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to teach Social Studies at Potomac High School in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Mr. Coates taught in Prince George's County Public Schools for 5 years before receiving his M.Ed in elementary and Secondary School

Administration and Supervision from Bowie State University in 2000. Mr. Coates waselevated to the position of Vice-Principal Prince George's County serving at Forestville High School, Charles Carroll Middle School, Greenbelt Middle School and Largo High School before leaving the county to become Principal at Calvin Coolidge High School. Mr. Coates is currently finishing his Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Bowie State University.

Mr. Clayton McLaughlin has worked for the University of the District of Columbia since November 2005. His counseling focus is on providing students with a comprehensive foundation for selecting a career.

Mr. McLaughlin’s preferred methodology is to empower students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to take an active role in choosing and preparing for a career. He guides students through a multi-step process in which their interests, individual strengths, core values and work environment preferences are integrated

to form a clearer picture of the careers in which students would find the most personal happiness and success. Mr. McLaughlin believes, “the key is to look at a student as a whole person and to help him or her to sort out which possible paths are likely to prove most satisfying and then to find ways—like internships or part-time jobs—for them to check out that option before making a final decision.”

Before joining the staff at UDC, Mr. McLaughlin worked for the Vocational Rehabilitation Service Administration, the NIH National Institute of Drug Abuse Clinical Pharmacology Research Branch; Johns Hopkins Hospital Program for Alcoholism, Ann Arundel County Department of Mental Health, Village Family Network, Inc., Charles H. Hickey JR. School, and the United State Marine Corps Reserve. He has also owned and operated a consulting business. Mr. McLaughlin is a member of the American Psychotherapy Associations, National Career Development Association, American Counseling Association, and Psychology for Social Responsibility Association.

A native of Baltimore, Md., Mr. McLaughlin earned a M. Ed. in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling and a B.S. in Management Science from Coppin State University, an a A.A. degree in Business Technology from the Community College of Baltimore.

Mr. McLaughlin describes himself as a person with a keen interest in people and in solving human problems. He firmly believes in public service and has a personal commitment to improving the possibilities available to all of our nation’s citizens. As Mr. McLaughlin often shares with students, his personal slogan for success has been to “always remember that it is what you do today that helps to prepare you for something better tomorrow.”

education. She received her Bachelor’s of Art Degree from Federal City College, which is now the University of the District of Columbia. She received her Master’s in Education from Coppin State University and her Doctorate in Education from the George Washington University.
Dr. Jackson has extensive experiences in the field of counseling, in addition to overseeing and directing other counselors in the administering of counseling service. Over the last 30 years, she was employed with the Department of Human Services/Rehabilitation Services Administration, where she provided vocational rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities who resided in the District of Columbia.