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. […]
Finance and Business
Sharon McLaurin Oliver
Sharon McLaurin Oliver enrolled at Batesville Job Corps Center (now Finch-Henry Job Corps Center) in Mississippi in September of 1988. She wanted to leave her small hometown and find opportunities to grow and start her own life. Sharon’s sister enrolled in Job Corps first. After watching her sister succeed and enjoy the program, she decided […]
Evan Etienne
Florida native Evan Etienne knew he wanted a better job than what he had, but he wasn’t sure what that job was or how to get it. That’s when he turned to Job Corps. At Miami Job Corps Center, Evan joined the Office Administration training program so he could learn the skills he would need […]
Jamahl Mason
Jamahl Mason spent much of his childhood fascinated with technology. His interest in computer games and MySpace evolved into passions for connecting with others online. His father worked for Job Corps, so he already knew well what the program had to offer and its value. However, Jamahl did not have a typical Job Corps journey. Jamahl’s […]
Philliecia Mack
“At first, I was like, ‘This is so stupid, why am I here?’ This is how I was thinking at 16 years old. But from the moment I arrived on campus, the Finch-Henry [Job Corps] community opened its arms to me, from fellow students to instructors, to cafeteria and dormitory staff; everyone accepted me for […]
Richard Johnson
In just a few short years, Richard Johnson went from being new to the United States to working for the federal government—and Job Corps is the secret to his success. Richard was born in Liberia on the west coast of Africa; but when he was a young adult, his family chose to immigrate to the […]
Jesus Buelna
“My life has made a full 360 after Job Corps. Job Corps worked for me.” Jesus Buelna moved out of his childhood home in Long Beach to live with his aunt in Hawthorne, Calif. He was new to the area and was struggling to maintain good grades in school. Jesus wasn’t certain school was the […]
Vernon Taylor
“It [Job Corps] was the best decision I ever made.” Vernon Taylor showed up to work one day at Long John Silver’s and everything was being taken down. The restaurant was closing without notice. Vernon had quit high school in ninth grade and was working there to help support his family. Without a job, Vernon’s […]
Michaela Hall
Michaela Hall graduated from high school and completed a semester of college. She wasn’t interested in spending so much time in college, and she quickly realized getting two jobs was not a sustainable option. It was fate when she saw a Job Corps commercial, something she didn’t really pay attention to until she needed it. […]
Tivia Dallas
Tivia Dallas dropped out of college because she could no longer afford it. But once she dropped out, she was faced with another challenge—not being able to secure a job without a degree. Tivia later became her mother’s primary caregiver after she suffered four separate strokes, and while Tivia loved caring for her mother, she […]