Two students compete in the North Central JOG Conference held April 14 at the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center in Mansfield.

Courtesy | GOAL Digital Academy

MANSFIELD — The Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG) program is the Ohio Affiliate of the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) national program. 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 combined civic awareness and 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 where they can practice learned skills such as how to develop their resumes, fill 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, where over 120 students from four districts participated in 20 different employability and career-based competitions. Schools in attendance included 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 and Kylee Bilancini – Northmor HS

2) Grace Shipman and 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, and Makayla Carver – Northmor HS

2) Olivia Long, Faith White, and Cheznee Hart – Mt. Gilead HS

3) Ryan Lowry, Sawyer Bailey, and 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, and Savanna Wilt – Mt.Gilead HS

2) Joey Baldwin, Natalie Jagger, Kimberly Staley, and Riley Cardwell – Mt. Gilead HS

3) Bri York, Billy Prince, Cheyenne Arnett, and Katie Statler – Northmor HS

Chapter Scrapbook

1) Keirsten Barney and Kylee Bilancini – Northmor HS

2) Aubrey Thomas and 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 Hernande

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 and 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 with 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, a 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.”

GOAL Digital Academy is dedicated to celebrating students with events such as this one. GOAL serves 12 counties in central Ohio with its seven learning labs and celebrates students’ diverse learning styles, interests, and talents by going beyond academics and providing students with well-rounded opportunities to meet new people and engage in their passions. GOAL offers regular family education and networking opportunities and continually works to remove family or community barriers that impact student success.

Submitted by GOAL Digital Academy.