Originally from Russia, Alex Crowley, was adopted at 7 years old and moved to Richmond, Va., with his new family. Alex got into trouble frequently growing up and was in and out of juvenile detention. He eventually dropped out of school in 10th grade, and began to work framing houses. His mother found out about Job Corps and encouraged him to join to earn his high school diploma and gain hands-on carpentry experience.
Alex has come a long way, and is the first student to graduate from the Flatwoods Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center since the COVID-19 pandemic.
At Job Corps, Alex found success in and out of the classroom. He was a dorm leader and joined the center’s fire team, where he received training on the fire equipment, learned fire safety, and even participated in fighting two fires in training. He also completed his Carpentry training and earned his high school diploma and OSHA credential. During his training, he gained on-the-job carpentry experience, working at the local power plant building and tearing down scaffolds.
Alex credits a lot of his success to his instructor, Paul Lampkin.
“He helped me out through the whole thing. If it weren’t for him, I would have been kicked out a long time ago.”
Alex says his Job Corps experience was challenging because he was off-center due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But his instructors helped him remain motivated and focused in distance learning. He participated every day and put in the work to ensure he’d be on track when he returned to center.
“Patience is the key.”
Alex’s overall Job Corps experience exceeded his expectations, and provided him with career skills and credentials, as well as lifetime friendships. He now works for Major Construction in Richmond, Va., and plans to join the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. He now has his own apartment and a newborn baby, and is saving his money for a down payment on a house.
Graduated from Job Corps in: February 24, 2021 Employer: Framer, Major Construction, Richmond, Va. Hometown: Russia; moved to Richmond, Va., at 7 years old Phone: 804-517-0436 Email: crowleyalexander7@gmail.com Submitted by: Center Submission