JOG helps student become the best person she can be

JOG

Apr 8

Written By

Jakori Brooks, a 17-year-old senior at Oberlin High School, was nonchalant about her future and lacked basic employability skills needed to secure a part-time job. That all changed once she enrolled in Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG) an in-school classroom-based program for high school students concentrating on career development, employability, life, and leadership skills.

“My friends were a part of the program before me, and I saw the growth in them,” Jakori says. “They also had jobs.” After joining JOG last year, Jakori developed a resume, participated in countless mock interviews, landed a job at Wendy’s, and started to think more seriously about her future after high school.

Oberlin’s JOG Instructor, Career Coach Meghan Jackson, says Jakori’s evolution has been wonderful to witness. “When she started, we had a hard time. It took work convincing her that graduation was a top priority and that consistency and hard work would pay off,” Meghan explains. “But since then her behavior and attitude have shifted completely. She shows up every day willing and ready to work.”

Jakori recently earned her OhioMeansJobs Readiness Seal, a formal designation on high school diplomas and transcripts indicating a student has the personal strengths, strong work ethic, and professional experience businesses need.

Jakori is exploring a career in nursing at Lorain Community College. “Mrs. Jackson helped me understand the importance of taking school more seriously.” She credits her success to JOG and the efforts of her Career Coach. “Mrs. Jackson helped me become the best person I can be,” says Jakori. “It’s hard to put into words what the JOG program has done for me. Just know I’m a better person because of it.”