Make it happen.
This is the motto Inglan Thomas lives by and what motivates him to push past barriers both big and small. Because of this mindset, Inglan went from not having the grades to get into community college or the military to where he is now, only a few courses away from graduating with a bachelor’s degree in entertainment business.
After high school, Inglan was working security at local events. He saw his friends going off to college and knew he wanted to do the same, to “live a life of purpose.” However, after talking with his local community college, he was informed that he did not have the grades to enroll and he would have to pay for pre-college preparatory classes.
Inglan then turned to the military, where they also informed him that he did not meet the educational requirements to enlist. Just when he thought there was nowhere else to turn, his grandfather told him about Job Corps.
“My reading and math skills were not up to par. They were not up to college level, and the fact that I was going to have to pay for pre-college classes before I could do anything, I felt stuck” Inglan said. “I didn’t know what to do, but Job Corps helped guide me through that.”
Looking to follow his passion for security and criminal justice, Inglan’s Job Corps admissions counselor worked to help him enroll in a center that offered the Security training area. That is what brought Inglan to Atterbury Job Corps.
“I loved that Job Corps was getting me away from home so I could become my own man, my own person. I felt like I was doing something with my life,” Inglan said. “The best part was when I told my parents I was going to Job Corps, their faces said, ‘wow, my son is doing something with his life,’ and that made me extremely happy. I was all in.”
Once on campus, Inglan proved just that. Not only did Inglan succeed at Job Corps, he excelled. After seeing where he really stood educationally, he decided to start making serious changes. “I got a sixth grade level score for math and a ninth grade level score for reading, and that was a big eye opener. I felt horrible when I saw that. But Job Corps was there, and the instructors were there to help me. That was amazing.”
He was able to significantly improve his reading and math skills, by taking tests to measure his improvement every other week. He also asked for additional homework, and he finished his Security training in half the expected time and started taking college classes.
Inglan wasn’t just a success in the classroom, he was also a success on campus as a leader of his dorm wing and in the workforce through his work-based learning experience at Target.
Starting as a seasonal employee, Inglan was able to use the Security training he was receiving at Job Corps to quickly be promoted to be a Target protection specialist. After that initial promotion, Inglan was promoted twice after that in the security division of Target.
Today, Inglan returns frequently to Atterbury Job Corps to speak with students about his time in the program and the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity and resource offered by Job Corps.
Most recently, Inglan finished his final term in the Marines and is now completing his bachelor’s degree in entertainment business at Full Sail University.
“If it wasn’t for Job Corps, meeting me where I was stuck in my education, and the instructors, I would have never been able to get into a college and serve my country. I truly do love this program.”
Graduated from Job Corps in: 2011 Employer: College Student Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia; Minnesota Notes:
Contact Information: 812-552-9656; buster91@live.com
Source: Center Submission
Story Type: Vetted Story