Y.O.U. Alumni Crew: Q&A with Neema
Neema David first joined Y.O.U. through our Jobs for Ohio's Graduates (JOG) program in 2022 and participated in our Youth Career Olympics (YCO) program. In the summer of 2025, she returned as a seasonal Job Coach, mentoring 46 young participants through their employment journeys. Today, she serves as a full-time Career Specialist Instructor a true full-circle story of growth from participant to leader.
Can you introduce yourself and share your current role at Y.O.U.?
My name is Neema Nene, and I currently serve as a Jobs for Ohio's Graduates (JOG) Career Specialist Instructor at Y.O.U. In my role, I help students build essential career readiness skills; resume writing, interview preparation, leadership development, and public speaking. I also guide students as they prepare for the Youth Career Olympics (YCO), where they have the chance to showcase their professionalism and confidence on a real stage.
What year were you a JOG student, and what initially drew you to the program?
I was a JOG student in 2022. What drew me in was the opportunity to learn real-life skills that would actually prepare me for my future. I wanted to know how to present myself professionally, navigate job opportunities, and grow as a leader. JOG felt like a place where both of those things, personal and professional growth could happen at the same time.
What do you remember most about your experience as a JOG student?
The sense of support. JOG was more than just a class, it was a space where we were genuinely pushed to believe in ourselves and think seriously about our futures. Through the activities, leadership opportunities, and open discussions, I grew in confidence and discovered strengths I didn't even know I had.
Was there a specific instructor, lesson, or moment that made a lasting impact on you?
Learning how to step outside of my comfort zone especially around public speaking and professional presentation made the biggest impact. Those lessons stayed with me because they taught me something I've carried ever since: confidence isn't something you either have or don't. It's something you build, with practice and the right encouragement around you.
Did you participate in Youth Career Olympics as a student? What was that experience like?
Yes, I competed in the public speaking event, and it was both exciting and challenging. YCO pushed me to communicate clearly, organize my thoughts under pressure, and present myself with confidence in front of an audience. It was one of those experiences that stretches you in ways you don't fully appreciate until after it's over.
How did preparing for YCO help build your confidence or skills?
It taught me how to organize ideas, perform under pressure, and carry myself professionally. But the most important thing it gave me was the belief that my voice matters. Standing in front of judges and speaking about something meaningful, that experience doesn't leave you. It builds something in you that you carry into every room after that.
At what point did you realize you wanted to return to Y.O.U. this time as a JOG CSI?
It happened during the summer of 2025, when I came back as a seasonal Job Coach and worked with 46 young participants. Guiding them through their work experiences reminded me how much I love mentoring young people and how meaningful programs like JOG and SYEP truly are. That summer showed me I wanted to give back the same kind of support I once received. So I came back.
What has it been like transitioning from student to instructor?
Humbling and deeply rewarding. I still remember what it felt like to sit in those seats; learning, growing, figuring out who I was. Now being able to walk students through that same journey from the other side of the room is something I don't take lightly. It reminds me every day that this work genuinely matters.
How does your own experience as a JOG student shape the way you teach?
It gives me a real understanding of what students are going through the uncertainty, the self-doubt, the moments where they're not sure if they belong. Because I've been there, I can connect with them on a deeper level. I try to build a classroom environment where students feel safe to grow, ask questions, and actually believe in what they're capable of.
What do you hope your students gain from JOG especially those preparing for YCO?
Confidence. Courage. The willingness to step outside their comfort zones even when it's hard. YCO isn't just a competition, it's a moment of personal growth. I want every student to walk away from that experience believing they are capable of far more than they imagined going in.
When you watch your students prepare for YCO now, what goes through your mind?
Pride. I see myself in them, the nerves, the growth, the moment when something finally clicks. I know what that experience can mean for a young person, and watching them discover that for themselves is one of the most powerful parts of this work. These moments shape futures in ways they may not even realize yet.
In what ways does YCO prepare students for real-world careers and leadership?
It builds the skills that follow you for life communication, teamwork, professionalism, critical thinking, and the ability to perform under pressure. YCO teaches students how to show up, how to present themselves, and how to take pride in their work. Those aren't just competition skills. Those are career skills. Life skills.
Looking back, do you see a direct connection between your time in JOG and where you are today?
Absolutely. JOG laid the foundation. The skills I built, the confidence I developed, the mentors who believed in me all of it shaped the path I'm on now. Being able to return and support the next generation is a full-circle moment I don't take for granted.
Commencement Speaker for the 2026 Graduates of John Marshall High School
What advice would you give current JOG students who don't yet see their own potential?
Stay open, and trust the process. Potential doesn't always reveal itself all at once sometimes it shows up slowly, through every skill you build and every opportunity you say yes to. Believe that you are more capable than you think. Because you are.
What does it mean to you to now be part of the team that helped shape your journey?
It feels like coming home. Y.O.U. helped guide and inspire me at a time when I needed it, and now I get to do that for someone else. Getting to give back in this way to be part of someone else's growth story the way others were part of mine that means everything.