David Borja was born and raised in Guam and was always very close to his family and friends. He could never have imagined being apart from them. However, David was continuously working low-income jobs and wanted a change. “Back home, I was going from job to job but never sticking with one thing for more […]
Region 2: Philadelphia
Katelynn Alpaugh
Katelynn Alpaugh juggled motherhood and COVID-19 during her Job Corps journey. “My experience was a lot different from what I expected but in a good way.” She initially began training at Wilmington Job Corps in 2019 and graduated in 2022 after completing distance learning during the pandemic. The road to success was not easy, but […]
Michael Ponder
Michael Ponder is booked and busy. He’s the head chef at a senior living community, the owner of his own catering business and the father of a 3-year-old son—and he’s not stopping there. Fresh off winning “Best Dessert” for his banana pudding at a prestigious local event, “Mr. Pudding”—as the community has begun to call […]
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 […]
Brianna Rinehart
Brianna Rinehart’s favorite thing about her job as a nurse is serving as her patients’ support system. She works in a long-term care facility with people rehabilitating from strokes, falls and other accidents. Not every patient has family who can be there for them, but that’s where Brianna steps in. “As they’re trying to get […]
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 […]
Brianna Clark
Brianna Clark went from crafting sandwiches to a career in construction, all thanks to Job Corps. She was working at Subway in her hometown of Coeburn, Va., when a staff member from Flatwoods Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center came in for lunch. The staff member chatted with Brianna and learned she was interested in finding […]
Allen Furniss
After having to be self-reliant from a young age and not feeling a sense of direction, Allen Furniss dropped out of high school at age 14. He moved across the country searching for a place of belonging and purpose. At 18 years old, Allen knew he needed to turn his life around fast and reached […]
Tyler Harris
“Hey, Mr. Castle, I want to say how Flatwoods changed my life …” Before Job Corps, Tyler Harris was getting into a lot of trouble. He graduated from high school but found himself making the wrong decisions. “I’ve always been a hard worker, and I love working with my hands. I had no idea about […]
Ahmed Alston
Ahmed Alston felt intense pressure to take care of his family and continue putting his future on hold. He couldn’t finish high school, then tried attending Job Corps at 17 years old; but he couldn’t stick with it. Ahmed felt washed out and wasn’t ready for the program. He felt embarrassed around his high school […]