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 6: San Francisco
Ludwyng Catato
A lot can happen in a few years. Ludwyng Catato was making minimum wage working retail and warehouse jobs with no end in sight. Only a few years later, Ludwyng is now a union commercial electrician with Big Slate Electric in San Antonio, Texas, with dreams to advance his career as a journeyman electrician and […]
Xavier Edwards
A Job Corps experience so nice, he did it twice! When Xavier Edwards graduated from high school in Charlotte, N.C., he was looking for a more cost-effective education path than college. His mom did some research and introduced him to Job Corps. Xavier moved to Brevard, N.C., and completed the Culinary Arts program at Schenk […]
Laveah Acosta
“As someone who is transgender, I struggled in high school and wanted a way to get out of my town and start a new beginning. Moving to a new city ended up being a great experience, and I made so many friends. When I would leave for the weekends, I would have friends waiting for […]
Anthony Lugo
Following his medical separation from the United States Navy in 2020, Anthony was looking for a career outside of the only one he had ever known. He had his high school diploma and the ambition to do more but was looking for an extra level of support to get started. “I needed something to feel […]
Riya K.
Job Corps turned Riya into a planner. After graduating early from high school, she was looking for her next step before she attended college. A school counselor recommended that she attend Job Corps, where she would be able to learn skills that would help her find a good job to pay her way through college. […]
Matthew Mahmoodtorabi
Before enrolling at Job Corps, Matthew Mahmoodtorabi worked at his family’s small, independent Italian restaurant cooking mainly pizza and pasta. He had over 10 years of experience under his belt when he enrolled in Job Corps, but wanted to refine his skills and “reach for the top shelf.” Matthew dreamed of one day becoming an […]
Felix Barragan
As Felix Barragan planned for his future career path, he was first drawn to forestry. However, from his first step into the Carpentry shop at Angell Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center in Oregon, Felix knew he was home. Prior to enrolling at Job Corps, Felix worked landscaping, roofing and construction side jobs. With one foot […]
Andrew Frydenlund
Andrew Frydenlund always hoped to find a career he would enjoy and a financially independent life. At 8 years old, Andrew journeyed with his siblings from an orphanage in Lithuania to the United States. He was adopted by a family in Carmel, Ind., on Sept. 1, 2004. But he was living in a homeless shelter […]
Wendy Chen
When Wendy Chen arrived in the United States from China, she realized not knowing English was going to be a challenge for her. She wanted her chance at the American dream and knew that learning English and getting an education were necessary to do so. After being unable to gain employment for a while due […]