From a career in marketing at SEGA to a role in education, Tiffany Ballard brings a diverse background in both business and teaching to her position as the Prosper Career Independent Study (PCIS) advisor. Now, she draws on her experience to equip students with the skills and confidence needed to connect with professionals and establish themselves in their fields.

Before joining Prosper High School, Ballard worked in advertising at SEGA, formally known as Service Games.

“I worked in advertising for SEGA before moving to Prosper to become a teacher,” Ballard said. “At SEGA, I helped with advertisements in the marketing department.”

When Ballard first joined Prosper, her extensive business background made her a natural fit to teach marketing classes. Later, she was asked to take over the PCIS program to help expand its reach and enrollment.

“During my first year at Prosper, I taught all the marketing classes,” Ballard said. “Later, I was asked to lead the PCIS program to increase its enrollment. When I first took over, we had only 11 students. Now, we have 400 across Prosper ISD.”

Ballard found her passion in guiding the PCIS program by watching her students grow into young professionals and pursue their areas of interest.

“I think developing the confidence to speak to professionals at 16 or 17 is challenging,” Ballard said. “A lot of students need that extra push to make the call or send the email. I’m here to help them build those professional skills.”

One of the many students Ballard has guided to success is senior Puranjay Prashanth, who attributes much of his growth to her influence.

“Mrs. Ballard’s background in marketing helped me stand out in my field, which is computer science,” Prashanth said. “This made it easier to attract professionals and eventually led me to secure a mentorship.”

Beyond encouraging students to reach out, Ballard also emphasizes safety. She ensures that mentorship meetings occur in comfortable, secure environments, and she keeps an eye out for any red flags with potential mentors.

“She’s always about safety and getting things done,” Prashanth said. “Her top priority is ensuring students meeting with mentors outside of school are safe, and she keeps in constant contact.”

Ballard’s support doesn’t stop at professional guidance; she also assists students with academic and personal challenges.

“Mrs. Ballard has been instrumental to my learning—whether it’s mentorship, learning to cold–call, or anything else, she’s always there to support me,” Prashanth said. “Even outside of that, if I need help with academics or college applications, she’s there to guide me.”

With the rapid growth of the PCIS program, a new advisor, Carrie Behrens, has joined the team to help manage the increasing number of students. Behrens works closely with Ballard to mentor first–year PCIS students.

“Like Mrs. Ballard, we are both responsible for mentoring first–year PCIS students; however, she is also leading second–year students,” Behrens said. “Through this process, Mrs. Ballard has been a mentor to me, guiding my success this year.”

Behrens describes her experience working with Ballard as profoundly rewarding.

“I absolutely love working with Mrs. Ballard,” Behrens said. “Not only is she an expert in guiding students to success, but she’s also very approachable and wants to see me succeed as well.”

As the program grows, so does Ballard’s dedication to meeting students’ needs through creative solutions, extracurricular involvement, or personalized mentorship.

“Mrs. Ballard is always there for the students,” Behrens added. “Whether it’s running multiple clubs to support them, helping them line up interviews and mentors, or finding solutions for meetings and events despite space limitations, she’s always thinking about how to make sure each student gets what they need to succeed.”