As a member of Jobs for America's Graduates, I've done some pretty neat things. Other than learning more employability skills, learning how to maintain a job, and find ways to pay for college, I've been on some neat adventures related to JAG.
The Washington D.C. Trip
This year I was chosen out of the many students of my state to go to Washington D.C. to compete in a series of competitions based on Employability skills, Public Speaking, Project-Based Learning, and Math Skills. I has originally been brought in to be a stand-in for the student in Employability Skills. They couldn't participate for whatever reason, so it had become my time to shine. Dressed in a tuxedo with a resume in my hand, I walked into the competition and filled out an application. I then waited a long time before I was called out to a room where a surprise joint-interview happened-- two interviewers wanted to ask me a whole bunch of questions. I had answered as best as I could, and asked them a lot of questions in return. They seemed generally impressed, but I didn't win any awards.
While I haven't won anything, I did still get a chance to tour the capitol of our great nation. I got to see all the big monuments during the night, and I got to experience the regional differences of restaurant and store chains (such as Checkers and Rally's, or Carl's Jr and Hardee's). It was a pretty fun time.
Seeing cool stuff wasn't the only thing I got to do, I also got to network with students from all over the country. Surprisingly, there's a lot we all share in common, and a lot we disagree on. In the end though, we're all apart of the same program, and that formed a bond that is surprisingly strong. I don't think I've ever got this many phone numbers and friend requests before... at least, not in the period of four days.
This was a great experience, and if I could visit again, I totally would. I wouldn't really need to, though. I didn't win anything as far as my knowledge goes, and I haven't got my scores back either, but I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. Sure, at times things felt tedious, but typically there was good intent behind it all. I'd like to thank JAG for allowing me to come along and have such an awesome experience.