Staff Interview: Rachael Jolly-Kosakowski
Tri-County Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG) works hard every day to help connect tomorrow’s workforce with what they need to achieve their own successes. This comes through both academic and career efforts. One individual who has been involved in all facets of JOG is Rachael Jolly-Kosakowski.
Rachael got her start with us as a JOG student. “I came to the JOG program as a senior in high school,” Rachael said. “I enrolled in the program while at Choices High School in Stark County with a goal of achieving my high school diploma.” Having come from a background of homeschooling coupled with anxiety, she had some hiccups to overcome that were ironed out alongside her Career Specialist. At the time of this interview, Rachael is the fastest person to complete the Choices High School program, in only 6 months! When asked about how her time with JOG has translated to her everyday life, she explained, “JOG impacted me in a very significant way that allowed me to be given the tools to achieve my own successes. I still follow-up with my Career Specialist to this day. She even came to my wedding! She will be a lifelong mentor to me.”
After graduating from the JOG program, Rachael began in the workforce but she did not forget about us at JOG. She began volunteering her time with JOG in Stark County, which blossomed into joining the board of directors in 2016. While on the board, she learned they were looking into starting a business engagement team to engage with community partners. From this expansion, she concluded that she would like to help contribute more directly and joined the JOG team officially in 2018.
Since she started her time at JOG, she has been able to help overhaul the student career placement programs to help place participants into fields they are more interested in doing. Rachael expressed, “I am proud to be a part of an organization that offers opportunities to young people that otherwise wouldn’t exist.” She has worked to continue to place students into positions where they can feel proud of their work, be supported, and achieve their own successes just like she did.
She has brought her “can do” attitude to her community engagements outside of JOG as well. She is involved in multiple chambers of commerce across Northeast Ohio. She has helped in multiple ways, from marketing, to events, to bringing in more members. She has done it all. She is even currently a nominee for the 17th annual 30 for the Future Awards from the Greater Akron Chamber!
We are proud of Rachael both in her successes she found as a student with JOG, as well as since joining our professional team. She has brought her attitude of “you can do it” to a new generation of participants, and works hard every day to connect our young people with those who want to help them achieve.
To read more about the JOG career placement program, please click here, or to become an employer partner, please click here.
