Job Corps Anniversary: 15 Years Later

September 29, 2011: a day that I'll never forget. That was the day I graduated from Ouachita Job Corps Center in Royal, Arkansas. Many people back then doubted me that I would never graduate. I refused to listen to them and focused on my goals. After graduating from high school in 2007, I took almost four years to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Then, my now estranged father told me about Job Corps. For context, I wasn't ready to step out on my own as an adult. I wanted to, but I didn't know how to become a responsible adult. So, I decided to give the program a try. I had to fill out an application, write an essay on why I wanted to be in the Job Corps program, on top of providing personal information, including copies of my high school diploma and identification card. There were two Job Corps centers that I was interested in: one in Southwest Texas and another somewhere in North Texas. Even though I was 22 years old at the time and could make my own decisions, my father said no to either one of those ideas. Instead, he forced me to attend Ouachita Job Corps Center in Arkansas. I had zero say in which Job Corps center I wanted to attend and he wanted me to go to school out of state. One thing I'll tell you about Liberian parents is that they'll use mind tactics to control their own children. I expressed to him that I wanted to attend a Job Corps center that was close to an hour away, but he objected against it, not respecting my decision. He and my toxic now estranged mother came together with a devious plan to kick me out of my own home state. The place where I grew up and made plenty of friends. I never forgave them for that. They just wanted to get rid of me. That's abusive and manipulative.

I arrived at Ouachita Job Corps Center in May 2010 and once I was there, I had to fill out some paperwork. I had to choose the vocational trade I was interested in taking. I chose Office Administration and wouldn't start my first day in class until the following month. Before that, for a month, I had to get familiarized with the rules of the center, attend classes, and we had to wear uniforms. During the transition period, me and other people in my group received uniforms based on the trades we were going to be in. For example, I received three pairs of polo shirts with one of them being white with the OJCC logo. OJCC stood for Ouachita Job Corps Center, which first opened in 1965. Two to three pairs of dark khaki pants, a belt, and for some odd reason, a pair of black boots. Also, I received a turquoise hoodless jacket with the OJCC logo. Once I attended the first day in my Office Administration class, I was nervous yet was ready to learn everything about this trade. In this trade, I had to learn about different tasks, such as writing cover letters, how to create and present a PowerPoint presentation, and creating an Excel spreadsheet. The average completion time for the Office Administration trade was around six months to a year. However, the pace of the individual based on how much knowledge they have on the aforementioned tasks is up to them. There was one woman who completed the trade in six months, but again, how long it takes for someone to complete it is totally up to them. Every Friday, each of us had to present our PowerPoint presentations of what we learned during that week. I've always been afraid of speaking in front of people, dating back to elementary school. However, I had to present my presentation because I was going to be graded on it. There were times where my instructor and I didn't get along. As the months went by, I've gotten a little bit better and comfortable of presenting PowerPoint presentations and my instructor started to believe in me. Fast forward to early September 2011: I was nearly finished with my trade when my instructor gave me some wonderful news. She told me that not only I was going to graduate near the end of the month but also selected me to give the commencement speech. I put my heart and soul into writing this amazing speech I was going to give on graduation day. A lot of people noticed how well I was doing in my class and said nothing but positive things about me. An assembly was held inside the gym to honor and celebrate the September graduates. Days before we were set to graduate, us soon to be graduates were treated to a nice lunch in the cafeteria.

Graduation Day had finally arrived. A small group of us from had to go to another classroom to change into our caps and gowns. Our caps and gowns were black, with a 2011 tassel on the left side on our hats. Our sashes were gold. One side of it said OJCC while the other had the name of our respective trades. We each had to select one person to accompany us to our seats when were each introduced. It was either our instructors, another staff member, or anyone else from any dorm. I was called up to the podium to give my commencement speech. It was inspiring and also encouraging every graduate to succeed in their futures. I received a standing ovation once I concluded my speech. Finally, each of us received a single rose to give to someone who inspired us to do our best. I gave away my rose to my instructor. Despite us starting off on the wrong foot, she never gave up on me. The center director closed with some final remarks before we turned our tassels from the left to the right of our hats. He then recognized each of us as the Ouachita Job Corps Center Graduating Class of 2011. We threw our hats up in the air in excitement. My guests were two of my friends from church. After the ceremony was finished, a woman came up to me and thought my speech was so inspiring. We received our class rings soon after. One important thing to note is that once we completed the program and graduated, we received $1,200. I stayed on campus for another month before attending another vocational school in Hot Springs, while the rest of the graduates went home.

As much as I despised my estranged father, I'm glad he told me about Job Corps. Otherwise, my life would've been in shambles. Graduation ceremonies were held three times a year at OJCC: July, September, and December. You've probably heard of many Job Corps Centers closing last year. 99 to be exact. However, a federal judge ruled against the Department of Labor's order to close all 99 locations. All locations are still open, as of the writing of this story. Unfortunately, after being open for 51 years, OJCC permanently closed in 2016, due to lack of attendance and low enrollment. Today, I work at a private company as an assistant shipping clerk. Since graduating from OJCC, I've worked different jobs. I've been working at my current place of employment since 2018. I love it and it's rewarding. Unfortunately, I can't find any pictures from my graduation day or any other photos during my time at Job Corps. If I do find them, I'll share some Job Corps stories on here. Even if I'm unable to locate those pictures, I'll still share some Job Corps stories with everyone.

If you're interested in joining the Job Corps program, be fully committed into it. Whether you're seeking to get your GED, a trade, or both, it's a great way for you to learn helpful skills. It may not for be for everyone, but if you want a brighter future for yourself, give Job Corps a try. Another piece of advice is to stay focused, stay out of trouble, and focus on your goals. The first month or so may be difficult for you but never give up. I was on the brink of leaving the program altogether at one point, but a staff member in my dorm encouraged me to keep pushing.

I'm grateful to be a Job Corps graduate, because getting a higher education was one of the best decisions I ever made. If you have any questions for me about Job Corps, please feel free to ask me in the comments below. Be sure to follow me on social media, subscribe to my page on Vocal, and please leave a generous one-off tip if you liked this story to support writers like me on this amazing platform.