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 […]
Female
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 […]
Leslie Ortega
I knew I wanted to do something more with my life. I just didn’t know where to start.” Leslie Ortega graduated from high school and worked at 7-Eleven and Dave & Buster’s. She was good at her jobs and enjoyed them, for the most part, but knew there had to be more in store for […]
Crystal Madrigal
“Absolutely nothing.” Crystal Madrigal reflected on what she was doing before enrolling at Job Corps. She was sick of working dead-end jobs with no opportunity in sight for advancing her career. In spring of 2019, Crystal was searching for a new path when a family member recommended Job Corps. She enrolled in Security and Protective […]
Sharon McLaurin Oliver
Sharon McLaurin Oliver enrolled at Batesville Job Corps Center (now Finch-Henry Job Corps Center) in Mississippi in September of 1988. She wanted to leave her small hometown and find opportunities to grow and start her own life. Sharon’s sister enrolled in Job Corps first. After watching her sister succeed and enjoy the program, she decided […]
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 […]
Shakia Smith
“Job Corps taught me discipline, how to listen and to budget,” explained Shakia Smith. “But the most notable thing I learned was to apply myself to everything I do.” When Cleveland Job Corps graduate Shakia was 18 years old and a high school graduate, she knew she wanted to take the right step toward her […]
Heidi Mann
Heidi Mann knew that there was something for her outside of her hometown in “middle of nowhere, Wyoming.” As much as she loved where she grew up, she knew she had to search for an education elsewhere in order to reach her full potential. When she was denied a scholarship to study sign language from […]
Shayla Shoemaker
“I was a high school dropout,” Shayla Shoemaker said. “As soon as the dropout paperwork was signed, my resource officer told me I needed to sign up for Job Corps. He said that I was too bright to just give up.” Shayla was ready to succeed. Her Job Corps journey began in 2019 when she […]
Angel Leija
Families pass down all sorts of things, from kitchen recipes to career recommendations. Texas native Angel Leija got both from her family. Angel’s mother got her involved in the kitchen from a young age, but it was when she started selling breakfast tacos to her fellow high school students and was racking up dozens of […]