“Go in with an open mind. Whether you have all the skills that they are going to prepare you for or none of them, go in with an open mind so you can absorb what they do have to offer. Advocate for what you need.”
Kaylyn graduated from IndyPendence Job Corps in 2018 and continues to have a great relationship with the center, its staff and her former classmates. Kaylyn not only completed her office administration training in five months, but created strong bonds that continue to impact her life today. After graduating from high school and attending University of Indianapolis for a while, Kaylyn decided college wasn’t the best fit. She started working in retail, but Kaylyn didn’t see herself moving up, working a job with little to no growth opportunity. She was also looking to move out of her mother’s house and needed more income to be financially independent. Kaylyn was looking for a better future.
Her mother, who works for Volunteers for America, told Kaylyn about Job Corps and the stars aligned. During her time at Job Corps, Kalyn interned at Harwell Legal Counsel, an attorney’s office, and excelled. They even offered her a job, but she decided to go in a different direction. Kaylyn also became the SGA president, participated in a volunteer program reading to local schoolchildren, planted flowers and did community work in the city. She did everything she could in her short time on center. Kaylyn’s work experience prior to joining Job Corps enabled her to offer peer mentorship to other Job Corps students. She assisted with resume writing and reinforced the importance of the skills they were learning at Job Corps.
“Even three years later, if I ever need something in the community, I normally call Job Corps first … they still continue to be my connection to the community.”
Kaylyn is succeeding as a manager at a local Pandora location and even hires from Job Corps. She has goals for the future to become an operations manager and is really interested in supply chain management; but for now, she is thriving in her role and continues the path of success.