When Taiesha Michael dropped out of high school and wasn’t able to find a job, she realized she needed career training and decided to enroll at Job Corps. Taiesha arrived at the Blue Ridge Job Corps Center determined to succeed. She earned her high school diploma, completed both the Clinical Medical Assistant and Medical Office […]
Beatrice Aboagye
Beatrice Aboagye moved to the United States from Ghana, Africa, when she was 13. After earning her high school diploma, she initially decided not to pursue any additional education, because adjusting to school in the U.S. had been challenging for her. So, she went directly into the workforce, working for tips as a server at […]
Amanda Umbrello
Amanda Umbrello always knew she wanted to do something that would help others, but her resources were limited. “When I was a child, I was adopted into a very large family, so money was tight,” Amanda said. “I knew I would have to be independent and work hard to achieve my goals.” During her high […]
Tattianna Thompson
Determined to get a career and earn her high school diploma, Tattianna Thompson enrolled at the Cleveland Job Corps Center on March 11, 2019. During her time at Job Corps, she earned her high school diploma from Penn Foster and trained in the center’s Certified Nurse Assistant program. As part of her training, she obtained […]
Donald Evans
Donald Evans dropped out of school during his junior year but promised his grandmother he would eventually earn his high school diploma. On Nov. 5, 2018, he walked through the door of the Cleveland Job Corps Center in order to keep that promise. While at Cleveland, Donald earned his high school diploma through Penn Foster […]
Jennifer Hallmark
Jennifer Hallmark moved in with her older sister when she was 14 because her mother was hospitalized. She was being homeschooled during this time, but soon stopped her studies to work. It wasn’t very long before Jennifer realized that most jobs required a high school diploma or GED, so she applied for the Job Corps […]
Shameka Rabon
Shameka Rabon was raised in the small military town of Lawton, Oklahoma. With a large family that included four brothers and three sisters, there was rarely a dull moment in her house. Shameka consistently made good grades, but after the unexpected passing of her youngest brother during her senior year, she had trouble coping with […]
Quanise Chatman
In addition to earning her high school diploma and completing two training areas at Job Corps, it was there that Quanise Chatman discovered her passion for volunteering. Quanise graduated from the Blue Ridge Job Corps Center on May 29, 2014, having gone through the Certified Nurse Assistant and Medical Office Support programs. She then worked […]
Manuel Lopez (Manny)
When Manny Lopez was 18, higher education wasn’t an ideal path for him. So, after completing high school, he decided to pursue job training through Job Corps. While at the Cassadaga center, Manny trained in the Electrical and the Security and Protective Services programs, and became a student residential advisor. He also served as a […]
Tyler James Mockler
For Tyler James Mockler, it took Job Corps and the encouragement from the people at Job Corps to go from a depressed high school drop-out to a dedicated El Dorado Hotshots wildland firefighter trainee. Tyler always had a fascination with firefighting. Before Job Corps, he was a fire cadet; but he wanted to do more. […]