“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 […]
Clinical Medical Assistant
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 […]
Candice Baylor
After a semester at a university that wasn’t the right fit, Candice Baylor wasn’t sure what to do next. Her sister Angelica helped her find the answer: Job Corps. Angelica was away from home in Marion, Va., attending the Blue Ridge Job Corps Center. She spoke highly of the program and her experiences and encouraged […]
Kyla Turner
As she is a hands-on learner, learning remotely during the pandemic was one of Kyla Turner’s greatest challenges. She was ready to get back to campus as soon as possible and learn hands-on, surrounded by peers and instructors again. Once she was back to campus, Kyla learned the ins and outs of her training program, […]
Abiona Jones
“In that moment of my life, I desperately needed a place like Job Corps.” Abiona Jones was a new mother experiencing homelessness. Her late father’s family reached out to Abiona offering to help raise her child and put a roof over their heads. After four months of living with family, Abiona found herself in a […]
Alexia Boston
Alexia Boston was determined to create a life she loved for herself and her two children. She dreamed of going to college after high school and becoming a doctor, but life didn’t work out as she expected. After years of working part-time retail jobs to make ends meet for her family, Alexia felt her dreams […]
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 […]
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, […]
Kemauli Brown
“Job Corps helped me find my purpose after immigrating to America,” said Hartford Job Corps graduate Kemauli Brown. “The feeling of community at Job Corps helped me learn about American culture so much quicker, which made life a lot easier for me.” Kemauli immigrated to America from his native country, Jamaica, in 2014, excited about […]
Brittany Vega
As the youngest daughter of a first-generation immigrant family, Brittany Vega was determined to make her family proud and create a new path for herself. After she graduated from high school in 2014, college didn’t seem like an option for her, so she started working in retail. Having never attended college themselves, her parents did […]