“The highlight of my time at Job Corps was my instructors. They made me who I am today.” When Tony Flowers first arrived at the Gary Job Corps Center, he was looking for a way to make money so he could purchase his own clothes. He had always worked dead-end jobs, including shoveling the snow […]
Michael Davis
Michael Davis always knew he wanted to work with electronics. He wrote his first interactive electronics program in his eighth grade history class and is now a leader at one of the largest consumer electronics companies in the world. Due to difficult life circumstances, Michael dropped out of high school. He worked low-paying jobs unrelated […]
Meron Cash
Before coming to the United States, Meron Cash spent most of her childhood in orphanages in Ethiopia. She was the oldest of her siblings and learned early in life to be disciplined and responsible for her family. At the orphanage, Meron would help other girls with their hair, uniforms and day-to-day responsibilities. Even before she […]
Adrianna Lejeune
Adrianna LeJeune grew up in a small town in Louisiana before moving to Fairfax, Va. Growing up, she was a bright student and always enjoyed learning. Due to difficult circumstances, Adrianna did not finish high school and experienced homelessness throughout her young life. Fortunately, she learned about Job Corps just in time. Her mother-in-law knew […]
Angelus Imaniriho
In September 2016, Angelus Imaniriho moved to the United States at 20 years old. Before leaving his home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angelus was in a refugee camp. Moving to the United States presented several challenges for Angelus. For one, he was in 11th grade back home, but in the United States […]
Shante Jones
“Staying focused is key to reaching your goals,” said Shante Jones. “If you stay focused and remember why you started, Job Corps will help you create a better future.” Becoming a mother at 14 resulted in a lot of hardships for Shante. She dropped out of high school but hoped to eventually earn her diploma, […]
Lisaira DeLuna
Lisaira DeLuna never let traditional gender roles define her. She grew up helping her dad work with trucks and racehorses, bull riding with her siblings and cousins, and wrestling on her high school team. Lisaira and her brother, Abel, didn’t finish high school but soon realized they needed to take a more serious look at […]
Talhah Shahid
A strong work ethic was not new to Talhah Shahid. Before joining Job Corps, he worked as a dishwasher, mover, warehouse hand and janitor, but never felt optimistic about his future professional growth. He worked long hours with low pay, never seeing a high school diploma or career in sight for himself. Unable to save […]
Cristian Aquino
When Cristian Aquino arrived at the Iroquois Job Corps Center in November 2019, he didn’t know what the next year had in store for the world. All the setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic—including having to finish his career training from home—wouldn’t stop him from completing the program, though. Cristian enrolled in the Carpentry training area […]
Keion Chance
Originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., Keion Chance graduated from high school in 2017 and was working at John F. Kennedy International Airport. One of his friends referred him to Job Corps, and Keion was enticed by doing a trade and liked the idea that the training program was free. In October 2019, he decided to join […]