“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 right fit for him, but knew he was ready to work. He ended up dropping out of high school and working at Jack in the Box. Jesus’ cousin attended Los Angeles Job Corps in 2003 and thought Jesus would be interested in the opportunity to attend as well.
Thanks to his cousin’s input, Jesus immediately signed up for Job Corps to continue his education and take advantage of the bevy of career training options available. During his time on campus, Jesus was occupied with training from 8 a.m. to 4 or 4:30 p.m., and then headed straight to work as a waiter at a restaurant. Jesus knew he was at Job Corps to take care of his business and, eventually, provide for himself through a fulfilling career. His schedule with training and work taught him how to effectively manage his time. Jesus’ peers picked up on his dedication, providing a good influence for others.
“I was motivated from day one, to be honest. I felt very motivated. I knew that there were good opportunities waiting for me as soon as I did all the work required. I knew that, as long as I got the work done, I would walk out with a good-paying opportunity.”
Jesus never forgot the reason he went to Job Corps and focused on achieving his goal: He wanted to walk out with a successful job opportunity. His experience exceeded his expectations—from the way the program was run to the dorm system, to transitioning to different classes—it was a smooth operation with very friendly, motivating and supportive staff.
“Don’t forget what you went to Job Corps for. Always believe in yourself and the rest will fall into place.”
Jesus found that one massive advantage of Job Corps is the trustworthy people and support system around him. Jesus had several mentors at Job Corps and even made friends with some of the nurses on center. His counselor provided Jesus with peace of mind when he was feeling down. Jesus went to his counselor when he needed an opinion from someone else.
“That’s one thing that I feel like helped me successfully complete the program. If it weren’t for a lot of the staff mentors, I feel like I wouldn’t have made it.”
Jesus excelled during his time at Job Corps. He completed his Office Administration training and was selected for the Advanced Transportation training through the Transportation Communications Union (TCU). He felt a little intimidated at first, but quickly got comfortable in the friendly and supportive environment. The TCU program and its staff members also ensured a smooth transition out of Job Corps. They made sure Jesus was paying his first month of rent on time and was ready to live independently.
“Life after Job Corps … I feel like my life is now aligned with my goals that I want to meet.”
Jesus works for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). He started in a temporary role as a special events assistant and was promoted after eight months to a permanent custodial position. Very recently, Jesus was promoted to full time. He has full benefits and permanency status and continues to succeed. There’s a diverse number of positions with the agency, and Jesus is excited for the growth opportunity.
He’s using the skills he learned at Job Corps every day. Whether it’s the hands-on training and skills he learned or multicultural awareness, professionalism, communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, he is ready to work. Jesus feels five years ahead from where he was before.
“There’s certain doors waiting for me to open.”
Jesus stays in touch with one of the lead coordinators of TCU at Job Corps. She would like Jesus to come back to center and speak to Job Corps students and provide motivation and mentorship. It will be a full-circle moment for Jesus since he remembers when graduates would come back and speak to him and other fellow students. Jesus wrote down notes from his time at Job Corps and all the emotions and experiences he went through. He was able to accomplish his dreams thanks to the mentors and friends he made at Job Corps and is excited to share his experience with other students to motivate them to continue their journey.
“No matter how hard the journey gets, just keep pushing forward.”
Graduated from Job Corps in: August 2019 Employer: Custodian Full-Time; Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro); Los Angeles, California Hometown: Long Beach, California Phone: 213-440-2038 Email: jesus_buelna@yahoo.com Submitted by: Becca Sweredoski Notes:
Source: YouTube comment and email to jcdigital@mpf.com