Brightpoint JAG Students Place in Indiana State Career Development Competition

Fort Wayne, IN – On March 15, students with Brightpoint’s Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program participated in the JAG Indiana State Career Development Competition at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis. Students from over 130 schools throughout the state competed in various categories including critical thinking, creative solutions, employment skills, financial literacy, public speaking, career presentation, and writing skills. Brightpoint hosted a regional competition in Fort Wayne earlier this year, in which students who placed first or second in each category advanced to the state competition.

These competitions give students the chance to demonstrate the skills they learned in JAG which have prepared them for success as they continue their education and pursue career opportunities. Brightpoint is pleased to announce that the following local students placed at the state level:

Brodie Fratus, Manchester High School                         2^nd Place- Career Presentation

Gavin Ream, Manchester High School                            2^nd Place – Creative Solutions

Cohen Marvel, Manchester High School                         3^rd Place – Critical Thinking

Karrigan Yard, Manchester High School                         2^nd Place – Employability Skills

Kyrsten Butler, DeKalb High School                                 2^nd Place – Financial Literacy

Wilson Nettleton, Manchester High School                     3^rd Place – Writing Skills

Wayne High School JAG                                                      2^nd Place – Blog

Paige Willms, from Impact Institute in Kendallville, won Honorable Mention in the Outstanding Senior category. The criteria for Outstanding Senior includes academic performance, participation in JAG Career Association activities, success in and out of the JAG classroom and a demonstration of perseverance through personal and academic challenges.

Brightpoint is a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving more than 40,000 people across northeast Indiana. Through a wide range of programs, Brightpoint helps communities, families, and individuals remove the causes and conditions of poverty. All Brightpoint services are provided without regard to race, age, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, ancestry, or status as a veteran.

JAG (Jobs for America’s Graduates) is a state-based, national non-profit organization dedicated to keeping young people in school through graduation and providing entry into post-secondary education or employment. The program includes one year of follow-up counselling after graduation. Locally, JAG is sponsored by Brightpoint and funded by Northeast Indiana Works. This WIOA Title 1-funded program is an equal opportunity program.