MANSFIELD – The Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG) Program is the Ohio Affiliate of the National Program – Jobs for America’s Graduates, or JAG. JAG is a state-based non-profit organization dedicated to dropout prevention, graduation resources, post-secondary options, employment, and training.
The four pillars of the JOG Program are Leadership Development, Career Development, Social Awareness, and Civic Awareness & Community Service. Students learn and practice competencies related to these pillars throughout the school year and beyond.
Towards the end of each school year, students have the opportunity to participate in the Career Development Conference (CDC) where they can practice learned skills, such as how to develop their resumes, filling out job applications, interviewing skills, and decision making, as well as service projects, leadership activities and social awareness, by competing with other JOG Programs in their district.
Students also have the opportunity to network with colleges during the conference. This year’s North Central JOG conference was held on Friday, April 14 at the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center in Mansfield, Ohio, where over 120 students from four districts participated in 20 different employability and career-based competitions. Schools in attendance include: GOAL Digital Academy, GOAL’s JAG Credit Recovery Program, Mt. Gilead, Northmor, and Delaware Hayes.
Here are the JOG & GOAL placements for each competition:
Students for Service
1) Keirsten Barney & Kylee Bilancini – Northmor HS
2) Grace Shipman & Madalyn Elson – Mt. Gilead HS
Interview Techniques
1) Adria Taylor – Northmor HS
2) Beaman Speakman – Northmor HS
3) Camille Churn – GOAL Digital Academy
Application Techniques
1) Shelba Fisher – Mt. Gilead HS
2) Hannah Kanagy – Northmor HS
3) Aubrey Thomas – Mt. Gilead HS
10th Grade Public Speaking
1) Alexis Calsmer – Mt. Gilead HS
2) Lia Alexander – Mt. Gilead HS
3) Riley Cardwell – Mt. Gilead HS
11th & 12th Grade Public Speaking
1) Ashleah Levings – Mt. Gilead HS
2) Kyndra Irwin – Mt. Gilead HS
3) Kiley McCann – Hayes HS
Decision Making
1) Adria Taylor – Northmor HS
2) Hannah Kanagy – Northmor HS
3) Beaman Speakman – Northmor HS
Visual Display
1) Mia Fidler, Devada Huvler, & Makayla Carver – Northmor HS
2) Olivia Long, Faith White, & Cheznee Hart – Mt. Gilead HS
3) Ryan Lowry, Sawyer Bailey, & Blake Schwartz – Northmor HS
9th Grade Leadership Collage & Essay
1) Abby Leonhard – Mt. Gilead HS
2) Alesha White – Mt. Gilead HS
3) Alana Patterson – Mt. Gilead HS
Employability Skills Testing
1) Hannah Kanagy – Northmor HS
2) Nick Cavanaugh – Northmor HS
3) Shelba Fisher – Mt. Gilead HS
Team Challenge
1) Dakota Brocklesby, Logan Klemann, Will Baker, & Savanna Wilt – Mt.Gilead HS
2) Joey Baldwin, Natalie Jagger, Kimberly Staley, & Riley Cardwell – Mt. Gilead HS
3) Bri York, Billy Prince, Cheyenne Arnett, Katie Statler – Northmor HS
Chapter Scrapbook
1) Keirsten Barney & Kylee Bilancini – Northmor HS
2) Aubrey Thomas & Shelba Fisher – Mt. Gilead HS
Employment Process – Graduate Recovery Program
Reception/Resume
1) Kyle Hill
2) Brandon Hernandez
3) Jacob Mancilla
Interview Techniques
1) Alexis Baylous
2) Kyle HIll
3) Brandon Hernandez
Application Techniques
1) Alexis Baylous
2) Kyle Hill
3) Brandon Hernandez
Overall Winners
1) Kyle Hill
2) Alexis Baylous
3) Brandon Hernandez
Telephone Techniques
1) Kylee Bilancini – Northmor HS
2) Aubrey Thomas – Mt. Gilead HS
3) Toby Pryor – Northmor HS
9th Grade Career Manuals
1) Kendall Neal – Mt. Gilead HS
2) Danielle Porter – Mt. Gilead HS
3) Alana Patterson – Mt. Gilead HS
Cover Design
1) Joey Baldwin – Mt. Gilead HS
2) Madisen Hale – Northmor HS
3) Kimberly Stacey – Mt. Gilead HS
11th Grade Financial Planning
1) Kierra Main – Mt. Gilead HS
2) Shelba Fisher – Mt. Gilead HS
3) Aubrey Thomas – Mt. Gilead HS
10th Grade Applications
1) Kaydence Arndt – Northmor HS
2) Bre Lott- Northmor HS
3) Kate Statler – Northmor HS
10th Grade Decision Making
1) Lia Alexander – Mt. Gilead HS
2) Macy Miller – Northmor HS
3) Natalie Jagger – Mt. Gilead HS
9th Grade Decision Making
1) Owen Hershner – Mt. Gilead HS
2) Kendall Neal – Mt. Gilead HS
3) Abby Leonhard – Mt. Gilead HS
Two of the students in attendance participated in Florida’s Jobs for America’s Graduates National Competition during April 20-22. Kyndra Irwin and Ashleah Levings of Mt. Gilead High School participated in a Prepared Speaking challenge there in Orlando. Levings placed second overall, and both students answered how Jobs for America’s
Graduates provided them employment support. Both contestants also attended several educational workshops, along with a College & Career Expo. Levings and Irwin listened to motivational speakers and even attended a hypnotist show during the event. They are grateful for the opportunity JAG/JOG has given them to attend the National Career Association Conference.
Judges included current and former staff members, a former JOG student, business professionals, and community members. The judges expressed how impressed they were at the professionalism of the student participants.
GOAL Assistant Principal, LeRoy Smith, said he was “so impressed by all of the students he encountered throughout the day.” Jim Smith, Mid-Ohio ESC and GOAL Board member commented, “I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. I was so impressed with the students I judged and the lasting impact of the service they provide to their school and community.”
Tami Cox from Kokosing also expressed her appreciation for the event, stating: “what you guys do to help the youth is amazing.”
