Student Success Story: Anna

When a student comes to Tri-County Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG), every single one comes from a different background. They all have different hardships, different successes, and ultimately different stories. Anna’s story is a unique one.

Anna dropped out of high school back in the 20-21 school year as a Sophomore. At that time, she was living with her ailing grandfather after her mother moved out of her school district. This meant her life now consisted of balancing school, a full-time job, and taking care of her grandfather, which became too much and caused her to leave school.

After thinking about her old classmates getting ready to graduate, she decided to jump back into her education this school year, two years after leaving. When she returned, she also joined the Stark County JOG program and is working with Career Specialist Jennifer Tewanger to help with her fresh start. Though she was already employed in a full-time job working in a nursing home, she knew she wanted to continue her education, and she hit the ground running!

Anna is a very active participant in the classroom setting as well as in her community. She asks questions and wants to learn as much as she can. Her time in JOG also inspired her to volunteer and give back to her community. This volunteer experience actually helped her land a new job because of her hard work and positive work ethic!

The JOG program has been very beneficial to Anna through educational efforts and interpersonal growth opportunities. She was able to find her confidence in the workplace, learn how to fill out a job application, and write a resume. Anna even said that JOG has been the most important class for her this year. JOG is able to thrive in helping students like Anna because of awesome Career Specialists that step up to help meet students where they are.

After plenty of hard work and dedication to her studies, in and out of the classroom, Anna is on track to graduate in May of 2023! So, what’s next for Anna? Her plan is to pursue her Nurse Aide (STNA) license and work toward becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). We are proud of Anna’s strides she has made and we are happy to see her accomplishments in the future.