Sometimes all it takes is the right person to inspire you to make a change in your life. That is what Jarrod Wenger, Career Specialist at Medina High School, works hard to do every day with his students. He has been working with Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) for some time now and actually got his start in Arizona. He has been at Medina High School for nine years since moving to Ohio and shifting to Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG).
Working with JOG gives Specialists the opportunity to work with students throughout their academic career. You get to learn who each of their students are and what they want to do with their lives. Having a Specialist that listens and sets you up for success is what makes the JOG program so unique. As Jarrod explained, “It’s important to actually sit down with students and talk about what they need. Sometimes it’s something big, sometimes it’s small. Either way, it’s important to get students what they actually need.” Jarrod has been able to help countless students being at Medina High School for several years now.
One of these students is Autumn, a Senior at Medina High School. She has been in the JOG program since she was a freshman and has been working with Jarrod the whole time. She heard about JOG through her sister who was a student in the program as well. While working with JOG, Autumn has learned hands-on how different career fields work, from nursing homes to working in a greenhouse. Through interviews with real world companies, like JOG employer “Medina Creative House,” Autumn was able to learn skills that were brand new to her. When asked about her experiences with JOG, Autumn said, “I feel like JOG has really been able to help me with my communication skills both with people and professionally.” When we went to talk to her, we even learned that she was preparing for a job interview following our conversation!
Autumn was also one of our students while schools were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, JOG worked hard to still supply students with a strong education, even virtually. One way we did this was through the “Employment Academy,” which taught skills that participants can use in jobs in the real world. Autumn was one of the students in this program. “The classes were very helpful and it was nice that they paid me through the training. When I started in the JOG program, I was a freshman going through COVID, and it was hard, but I really liked learning online,” she said.
Jarrod and the Medina High School JOG program are a great example of what we strive to do every day with every student.
