On Tuesday, June 14th, over 60 students, family, and friends gathered at the Indianapolis Zoo for the 2022 Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Senior Send-Off, which honors Marion County JAG students for completing programming during the 2021-22 school year. JAG is a state-affiliated program based on a national model, available to juniors and seniors in high school that teaches them resume building, career exploration, and creates available tools for students to explore different curricula. JAG’s mission is to keep young people in school through graduation and provide work-based learning experiences that will lead to career advancement opportunities, or to enroll in a postsecondary institution that leads to a rewarding career.

“We are thrilled to honor the graduating JAG class of 2022,” said Beth Bowling, Director of K-12 at EmployIndy. “These students have persisted in overcoming more challenges than generations of students before them. We can’t wait to see the exciting achievements we know this class will complete by reaching the academic and career goals they established through JAG.”

The Senior Send-Off also provided Marion County JAG students with the opportunity to participate in prize raffles and further connect with their assigned JAG specialist. All enrolled JAG students are provided a specialist to help them work towards removing educational barriers that may prevent them from graduating or pursuing a particular post-secondary or employment pathway after high school. 

​​“One of the great parts of JAG is the follow-up support,” said Crispus Attucks JAG senior James Vann-Mincy, who also emceed the event. For a full year after graduation, JAG students receive support and contact from their specialists and the JAG team, to offer assistance as they transition into the workforce and/or elect to further their education.

During the event, two JAG seniors were honored with the Jessica Brown Memorial JAG Award. DaShaun Russell from True North Academy and Nevaeh Smith from Shortridge High School received this distinction, which recognizes excellence throughout the program year and offers a $1,000 award from EmployIndy to help them continue in their academic and career goals.

Thank you to our wonderful JAG sponsors, Duke Realty, The Indiana National Guard, and Regions Bank, as well as our partnering organizations EmployIndy, The Indiana Department of Workforce Development, and Transition Resources Corporation, for helping make this event possible.

You can learn more about Jobs for America’s Graduates in Marion County by visiting: https://employindy.org/youth-services/jag.