“We say all the time how we wish we were able to go back. Job Corps was a great experience. It gave me most of the skills that I needed to get to where I am now. It definitely gave me the feeling of independence.” Aleah Hargrove left high school at 15 years old. Since […]
Female
Tayler Goins
Tayler Goins grew up in Colonial Heights, Va., as the eldest of four siblings. After graduating from high school, she decided to work as a cashier at Food Lion and CVS instead of pursuing higher education. “I was being irresponsible, and the time came that I had to make a choice to better my life—that […]
Mercedes Schlitter
“Job Corps brought me out of my shell and helped me change my life for the better … I got so much out of the program.” Pennsylvania native Mercedes Schlitter knows a thing or two about overcoming challenges. Growing up in foster care, Mercedes spent most of her life moving from place to place and […]
Maricela Perez
When Maricela Perez graduated from high school in 2014, she planned on continuing her education and studying dentistry at a university in Pennsylvania. However, she wasn’t sure she was ready for college, so instead her parents brought up the idea of Job Corps. Maricela entered Job Corps determined to become a dental assistant. Two years […]
Alexandra Perry
Alexandra Perry always had her sights set on becoming a carpenter. But without the necessary training, she struggled to find job opportunities. “It was hard trying to get into the trades without being trained because you have to know someone, and there are few resources within the community.” Seeking to gain the hands-on experience she […]
Shameka Batchelor
Shameka Batchelor is on the front lines fighting COVID-19 in O’Fallon, Ill., where she has been since April 2020. She is making an impact every day in her patients’ lives, supporting and caring for them, while she’s hundreds of miles away from her family. Originally from Long Island, N.Y., Shameka heard about Job Corps through […]
Mirella Solis
There are two things to know about Mirella Solis. First, even as a young girl, she had a passion for protecting and serving others. Second, she has always met doubt with confidence and turned her “can’ts” into “cans.” Being in a wheelchair doesn’t define Mirella, but her journey to a career in law enforcement is […]
Mary Limon
“I went from being a high school dropout to a teacher.” Mary Limon’s incredible full-circle journey started because she had grown tired of her living situation after dropping out of high school. During that time, she was also met with the harsh reality that she didn’t have any future plans or hope of a better […]
Bosilka Nash
Three months sober from drugs, recently failing out of college, and without a job or direction for her future, Bosilka Nash found herself living at her grandparents’ house, uncertain of how to make her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse into a reality. “Although I was sober, my life was still going nowhere. I had […]
Mekayla Gresham
Down on her luck and lacking clarity for her future, Mekayla Gresham was homeless and encountering countless dead ends. That was until she saw an advertisement for Job Corps on television. Job Corps offered Mekayla a safe place to live, free meals and career training, and ultimately, a community. Mekayla enrolled at Brunswick Job Corps […]