Over the past year students all over Michigan involved in the Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG) program have been honing their career readiness skills and throughout the month of April they competed in virtual events showcasing those skills. Many received recognition for their winning performances including Benton Harbor’s Bridge Academy team which took first place honors in the marketing competition. 
Throughout the month of April, more than 150 young people from Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG), competed in those events showcasing skills they learned throughout the year at the annual Career Development Conference (CDC). In its 11th year, this was the first virtual CDC, yet the event remained the capstone of year-long activities where students learn skills they’ll use throughout life including communications, problem solving, marketing and proper interview techniques. JMG is operated by Benton Harbor-based Youth Solutions, a Kinexus Group organization that inspires and connects youth to achieve a future beyond imagination, serving over 3,000 young people annually across 60 Michigan cities.
In addition to the competitions, another highlight of the CDC is the keynote speaker. This year did not disappoint as Dr. Omekongo Dibinga shared his personal journey from being bullied as a child to overcoming hopelessness and finding his life’s purpose. Through poetry, rap and emotional storytelling, Dr. Dibinga inspired the zoom audience to be their best, emphasizing, “Your circumstances don’t define you; you define your circumstances.”
CDC participant, Crystal Steele, a Hartford High School senior and part of the team that took 3rd place in Creative Problem Solving, expressed her appreciation for everything she has learned through the program, saying, “JMG has done a lot for me throughout the years. I have become a better leader and I’m ready for anything.”
Event winners were announced last week from May 3rd-to-7th via virtual award events. Winners by event category included (with SWM winners bolded):
JMG Bowl:
Individual Winners:
- 1st Place: Kadaree Richardson, River Rouge High School
- 2nd Place: Osvaldo Hernandez, Hartford High School
- 3rd Place: Ashley Austin-Bowman, Benton Harbor High School
Team Winners:
- 1st Place: WMW Muskegon County, team members Angela Anderson, Marshall Wyman, Hannah Wyman
- 2nd Place: Hope Academy, team members Mia Guel, Aimeelynn Herrera, Brian Mijangos-Mendez
- 3rd Place: WMW Allegan County, team members Lilly Wright, Jaden Ditmars, Jonathan Diaz, and John Dalton
Creative Problem Solving:
Individual Winners:
- 1st Place: Shabnam Kobilova, Hamtramck High School
- 2nd Place: Humayun Uddin, Hamtramck High School
Team Winners:
- 1st Place: Lenawee/Michigan Works! Southeast, team members Anissa Perez, Justin Behe, Kitten Miller, and Leonardo Trejo
- 2nd Place: Hartford High School Green Team, team members – Jose Rios-Lucas, Gage Gardner, Ernesto Rodarte, Miguel Tule Jr., and Robert Heflin Jr.
- 3rd Place: Hartford High School Ladies Team 2, team members – Crystal Steele, Kaitlyn Macmillan, Vanessa Diaz, Monica Lopez, and Karlee Scherer
Mentorship Interviews:
- 1st Place: Sharon Colbert,
- 2nd Place Tie: Miguel Rivera, Eaton County and Irais Cortez, Hartford High School
- 3rd Place Tie: Larissa Sanchez, Lenwee/MWSE! and Amari McKinney, Bridge Academy
JMG Marketing:
Individual winners:
- 1st Place: Hannah Wyman, WMW! Muskegon County
- 2nd Place: Aaron Sinclair, Hartford High School
- 3rd Place: Masum Rahman, Hamtramck High School
Team Winners:
- 1st Place: Bridge Academy, team members, Amari McKinney, Elijah Carter, and Aryonna James
- 2nd Place: Hamady High School, team members, Markeese Hodo, and Alex Lenear
- 3r Place: Hartford Quaran Team, team members, Irais Cortez, William Cobb III, Roberts Heflin, Jr., Miguel Tule, Jr., Gage Gardner, and Jose Rios
The event was made possible thanks in part to all the volunteer judges, the State of Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Consumers Energy, United Way, Michigan College Access Network, AT&T, Whirlpool Corporation, Lyons Industries, Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association, Operating Engineers 324, Southeast Michigan Construction Academy, TCF Bank, Vail Rubber Works, and WestRock. Additionally, Michigan Works! partners play a leading role in the work of Youth Solutions.
Inspiring and connecting youth to achieve a future beyond imagination, Youth Solutions is a nonprofit organization committed to providing Michigan’s youth with the desire for an education, the experiences that prepare them for a job or career and the tools to realize their potential. Youth Solutions was established as a 501(c)3 in 2017 but has been serving in that capacity since 2008, positively impacting more than 18,000 youth ages 14-24, across Michigan. For more information about Youth Solutions, Inc. or to become a partner, you can visit at http://www.ouryouthsolutions.org, follow along on LinkedIn @YouthSolutions, or “like” them on Facebook at @JobsforMichigansGraduates.
As the premier program of Youth Solutions, Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates is offered at over 100 locations across the state and helps young people succeed in their education while providing the path to a productive future. JMG is the Michigan affiliate of the national Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) network, one of the largest and most successful student-centered programs that help young people achieve their fullest potential.
