When Lora Williams saw a commercial for Job Corps in 2000, she felt called to dial the number on the screen. “It was a pretty abnormal thing for me to do,” Lora said. “I didn’t think anything would come of it, I just thought I might as well try.” Lora was 16 years old at […]
Nurse Assistant
Tyrek Swanigan
Tyrek Swanigan went from being mentored to dedicating his career to mentoring and helping youth—a full-circle moment inspired by one of his Job Corps work-based learning experiences and one of his first jobs. At IndyPendence Job Corps, Tyrek spread his positivity throughout campus as the Spirit King. He worked with the leadership team to make […]
Briana Gosier
“I couldn’t be prouder to be a double graduate of Job Corps. I still use my Certified Nursing Assistant license to this day 15 years later.” After graduating from high school in Atlanta, Briana Gosier knew she wanted to do more than just babysit for the rest of her life. She just wasn’t sure where […]
Christine Benzon
After a few semesters in college, Christine Benzon decided to stop pursuing higher education. It was a hard choice for her because the college track was what her family expected of her, but ultimately it was not making her happy. She knew she could be destined for great things. She just had to find how […]
Richard Samedra
At the age of 12, Richard Samedra’s family migrated from the Philippines to southern Orange County, Calif., in search of a new life. Richard worked diligently to earn his high school diploma, but soon found himself looking for a better future when he was unable to find a good-paying job he could progress in at […]
Tatiana Volbrecht
A personal event that occurred in high school left Tatiana Volbrecht suffering from PTSD and feeling limited in her options for her future. After graduating from high school, she attended classes at Navarro College but found it was not the best fit for her. Tatiana became a day care teacher after leaving college because she […]
Isaac Romero
When Isaac Romero saw one of the national commercials for Job Corps, he didn’t realize that one day he himself would be in one of those commercials. In fact, after graduating from high school in 2008, Isaac would go on to accomplish many things he never thought possible. At age 18, Isaac found himself […]
Isaiah Caudillo
After high school, Isaiah Caudillo was working as a lifeguard and looking to make a change in his life. He heard about Job Corps through his aunt, who had attended Los Angeles Job Corps Center years prior. He further discussed the decision to attend with his high school principal, who encouraged Isaiah to take advantage […]
Mercedes Schlitter
“Job Corps brought me out of my shell and helped me change my life for the better … I got so much out of the program.” Pennsylvania native Mercedes Schlitter knows a thing or two about overcoming challenges. Growing up in foster care, Mercedes spent most of her life moving from place to place and […]
Shameka Batchelor
Shameka Batchelor is on the front lines fighting COVID-19 in O’Fallon, Ill., where she has been since April 2020. She is making an impact every day in her patients’ lives, supporting and caring for them, while she’s hundreds of miles away from her family. Originally from Long Island, N.Y., Shameka heard about Job Corps through […]