The New Haven Job Corps Center’s Jacqueline Solimini sent in this photo and write-up about a recent graduation ceremony.
On Friday Jan. 15, New Haven Job Corps Center Winter Graduation took place for fifty talented graduating students amid the cheers of families, guests, and staff.
For new Center Director Barbara Sandstrom, Winter 2010 was especially exciting for Job Corps which has just celebrated 45 years of providing education to at-promise youth. Adrienne Pope, M.B.A. and Academic Manager for the Center was Mistress of Ceremonies for the morning event. Nicholas Savaria, Legislative Aide for Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro shared his story of personal growth and read a letter to Job Corps graduates written by Congresswoman DeLauro. Guest speakers included Mr. Howard K. Hill, Funeral Director for Howard K. Hill Funeral Services in New Haven who said: “…if you focus only on results, you will not change. If you focus on change, you will get results.” The “Star Spangled Banner” was sung by Tracy Smith, C.N.A. student.
Graduating students from all New Haven trades included O’Shane Williams from Carpentry who was recently hired as an apprentice by the International Masonry Institute, Local 1 in Wallingford where he will learn tiling and finishing for residential and commercial structures. Williams was quoted as saying: “Job Corps is a great program that kept me focused on my carpentry trade.” Waltecia Sloane, a C.N.A. graduate was hired by the Hospital of St. Raphael as a Clinical Technician.
Additional graduates proudly represented New Haven’s career technical trades including Culinary Arts; Facilities Maintenance through he Workforce Development Arm of the National Association of the Home Builders Institute; Advanced Baking and Pastry; Carpentry under the United Brotherhood of Carpenters; C.N.A., and Job Corp’s newest trade-Emergency Medical Technician and Emergency Response Technician through American Medical Response scheduled to graduate its first class in June 2010.
Photo from L‑R: Richard Richards, Facilities Maintenance; Evan Pena, Facilities Maintenance; Deonna Williams, C.N.A.