Leading in Silence: Meet Justin

Justin has only been employed twice. Before his acceptance into our Job & Leadership Training, he provided for his family by spending countless hours in the streets. After hearing about JLT through his drug court counselor, Justin applied to our program. Now, he’s a 2016 Spring Graduate.

As a Job & Leadership Training student, Justin completed a 6-week internship at Swiss American. Justin says his experience as an intern taught him a lot about the workforce. He learned professional skills, like arriving to work on time, building relationships with co-workers and taking ownership of tasks. The skills he learned helped him receive impressive job evaluations from his supervisor. These skills not only helped Justin grow as an employee, but it sparked his interest in becoming a leader.

Now, Justin’s motivation to be a leader inspires the people around him. With a reserved demeanor, it is Justin’s actions that speak the loudest. He was most vocal in small group discussions, where his classmates absorbed his thoughtful insight. Anthony Woods, a fellow 2015 Spring JLT graduate, uses Justin’s leadership as motivation to transform his own life. Justin and Anthony developed a close relationship throughout the program and call themselves brothers. “He’s an amazing guy. We’re not ashamed to say I love you before leaving,” Anthony mentions.

“Change doesn’t come overnight,” Justin uses this quote to constantly remind himself of the steps he needs to take to achieve his goals. He plans to enroll in college to study business management and start a custodial or landscaping business. He is actively involved in the lives of his 2 children, aspiring them to be leaders as they grow older. Today, Justin has more goals than ever before and he is aware of the patience it requires to achieve them: “I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

Internships are opportunities provided to Job & Leadership Training students to teach them the skills needed to thrive in professional settings. With the help of these internships, students like Justin are empowered to become leaders in the workplace and their households. We also have volunteers to help impact students by building relationships and encouraging them to be leaders. Because of the time local businesses and volunteers invest, we’re transforming lives in our city.

Are you a male aged 22-35 looking for opportunity and change in your community? Please complete an application to enroll in our Job & Leadership Training here.

If you’re a business interested in becoming a partner or someone willing to serve as a volunteer for our Job & Leadership Training, please contact Amy at amy.primm@missionstl.org.

 

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