JAG-K stands for Jobs for America’s Graduates- Kansas. This non-profit organization helps prepare students with multiple barriers to success. Specifically, JAG- K prepares students for postsecondary education or entering the workforce directly.

This year, Great Bend High School has decided to add this organization as an elective for upperclassmen in order to provide students with opportunities for leadership, community service career exploration, and on-site job shadowing experiences. Not only will JAG-K help students for the  school year, it will also help students for the first year after graduation. This is done by the Specialist who provides support and encouragement during this time.

Recently, Great Bend High School’s JAG-K had its Installation & Initiation ceremony where members were initiated into the program. They also had the chance to hear from Brad Lingafelter, JAG-K’s Southwest Regional Director. President of Great Bend High School’s JAG-K program, Yamile Hernandez, also got to present her speech to her fellow JAG-K members. Later, Hernandez mentions that “As President, one of the biggest responsibilities is that I have is to make sure that everyone is making decisions for their future; making sure everyone is on track.” She also explains that students have already benefited from JAG-K, saying “I think our meetings and just seeing each other around has made a lot the students in the program get out of their shell. I’ve heard that a lot of the students in the program have been doing  better with attendance and have been opening up more in classes.”

Specialist, Jennifer Hopkins, was also at the JAG-K Installation & Initiation ceremony. As the Specialist, Hopkins serves as a mentor for the students in JAG-K. She also helps these students in the future by contacting graduates and non-graduates at least monthly to determine their status and what additional services would be helpful for job placement, postsecondary enrollment or military service. She mentions that “We are going to be doing a lot of community service and service projects. What I’m excited about that is that the students get to decide what they want to do. It’s not me telling them what to do. It’s the students talking about it in their classrooms and deciding as a group; they get to build that. So, I’m excited to see what they come up with.”

“Leadership, Empowerment, Confidence, and the most obvious, Jobs.” These were the four words Hopkins used to describe JAG-K. Although this year will be the first of this program in GBHS, it has already been seen to improve the students involved and with the great leadership shown so far, JAG-K will surely flourish at Great Bend High School.