Following his medical separation from the United States Navy in 2020, Anthony was looking for a career outside of the only one he had ever known. He had his high school diploma and the ambition to do more but was looking for an extra level of support to get started. “I needed something to feel […]
Alex James
After graduating from high school, Alex James worked at Walmart, JCPenney and a Vietnamese restaurant. He quickly realized he wanted more out of life. He didn’t just want a job; he wanted a career. “I felt like I wasn’t living up to my full potential. I wanted to do something different and find something with […]
Hope Chenault
After serving our country in the United States Army for four years, Hope Chenault decided to attend Little Rock Job Corps in Arkansas because Hope wanted to expand their work experience and try something new. “I decided to enroll in the program because I saw how beneficial it was for my brother, and I love […]
Mariah Fryman
“Sign me up; I want to go!” After graduating from high school, Mariah worked at Walmart. She has a passion for learning and was interested in furthering her education. When she learned Job Corps offered medical programs, she was eager to start her journey. Mariah began training in the Certified Nurse Assistant training area but […]
Ashley Reid
“I see myself being the best nurse at a hospital in North Carolina,” Ashley said as she reflected on her goals from her New York City apartment. Ashley grew up in Long Island, N.Y., and dreams of getting away from the chaos of the city. Job Corps was the first step in Ashley’s journey to […]
Katelynn Alpaugh
Katelynn Alpaugh juggled motherhood and COVID-19 during her Job Corps journey. “My experience was a lot different from what I expected but in a good way.” She initially began training at Wilmington Job Corps in 2019 and graduated in 2022 after completing distance learning during the pandemic. The road to success was not easy, but […]
Riya K.
Job Corps turned Riya into a planner. After graduating early from high school, she was looking for her next step before she attended college. A school counselor recommended that she attend Job Corps, where she would be able to learn skills that would help her find a good job to pay her way through college. […]
Michael Ponder
Michael Ponder is booked and busy. He’s the head chef at a senior living community, the owner of his own catering business and the father of a 3-year-old son—and he’s not stopping there. Fresh off winning “Best Dessert” for his banana pudding at a prestigious local event, “Mr. Pudding”—as the community has begun to call […]
Marion Murphy
Marion Murphy was the first female lineman on the Long Island Railroad. It felt good, she says, and it’s an accomplishment that she’s still proud of today. But that’s hardly the most exceptional thing about her. She was also the best pole climber in her department—a leader and a teacher who passed her skills on […]
Emilie Konan
Emilie Konan arrived on campus at Blue Ridge Job Corps with her sister in tow and zero English between the two of them. She was nervous—about the language barrier, the new environment and her new course of study. But she was excited too, and with her sister by her side at Job Corps, she set […]