Shortly after starting his college career, Albert Martinez realized continuing the higher education route was going to be too expensive. Once he heard about Job Corps from a family friend, he couldn’t let the opportunity pass him by. Albert enrolled in the Carpentry program at Gary Job Corps in Texas with the dream of becoming […]
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Brad Roberts
Brad Roberts has served the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) for over 30 years and was recently recognized as the Park’s 2021 Employee of the Year. Originally from Winston-Salem, Brad started serving the GSMNP when he was 16 years old, and it all began with a move to Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center […]
David Borja
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 […]
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 […]
Timothy Braddock
“Just because of where you start, doesn’t mean you have to finish there. You can change.” Timothy Braddock is a chief in the United States Navy. He currently leads a team of 42 people helping those with catastrophic injuries. He’s using 100% of the skills he learned through Job Corps in his job today. Before […]
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 […]
Richard Doyle
Richard Doyle can proudly say he is an inaugural member of the Job Corps and Johnson & Johnson Vision (J&J) partnership. Richard has paved the way for future contact lens manufacturers as one of just three founding class members of the Advanced Manufacturing Production Technology training program at Jacksonville Job Corps. “I found Job Corps […]
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 […]
Alex James
After graduating from high school, Alex James worked at Walmart, JCPenney and a Vietnamese restaurant. He quickly realized he wanted more out of life. He didn’t just want a job; he wanted a career. “I felt like I wasn’t living up to my full potential. I wanted to do something different and find something with […]
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 […]