About Ms. Hairston

Growing up in Boston, Nadira Hairston was very conscious of the inequities in her community and it is part of the reason why she chose a career in education.

“I knew I wanted to make a difference,” Ms. Hairston says. “Having overcome many obstacles personally, I seek to empower other young people with the knowledge and skills to do the same.”

Ms. Hairston, who has an undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a master’s degree in school counseling from Boston University, says she really enjoys working with high school students.

“The most rewarding aspect of working at CCSC is being a part of a school community in which students, parents, and staff are committed to success,” Ms. Hairston says. “Failure is not an option.”

Now in her third at CCSC, Ms. Hairston reflects on the strategies some of her own teachers used with her when she was a student.

There was one teacher in particular who Ms. Hairston thought was mean, cruel and insensitive. 

“She took no excuses and accepted no short cuts. Either you did what you needed to do or you failed. No second chances," Ms. Hairston says. "Looking back, as much as I hated her for it, her class prepared me the most for the work I would have to do in college. Achieving success in her class developed in me a sense of self efficacy, a belief that I was capable meeting high academic standards. Had she not pushed me to maximize my potential, I would have never known what I was capable of.”