Eudora JAG-K Students Complete Cybersecurity Summer Apprenticeship

For three students from Eudora High School's JAG-K program, this summer was spent taking advantage of one of those opportunities. Through a partnership between Enterprise KC, Cornerstone Integration Inc., and JAG-K, Neo Allison, Kash Coffin, and Adryck Correll participated in a cybersecurity apprenticeship that opened new doors and expanded their outlook on their futures. For two seniors, it ignited a spark. Neo & Adryck even spent time working on projects outside of their allotted apprenticeship time, just because they were excited to learn and keep working.

"I actually didn't want to go into cybersecurity at all or anything like that. I wanted to go into psychology," said Allison, who always had an interest in computers. "But that has completely changed now. This is the path I want to go down for the rest of my life."

"This is the career path that I want. I love technology," stated Correll when discussing the impact of the apprenticeship program on his future. "But I would go home and not think about it at all. Now, I go home and I'm always thinking about what I can do to improve. The stuff I am working on here gets me excited."

For some students, an apprenticeship is a way to try something new and step out of their comfort zone. For incoming junior Kash Coffin, that was exactly the case.

"I didn't know anything about it when I first started," said Coffin, who feels that this apprenticeship has strengthened his critical thinking skills. "I felt like everyone else knew so much about it, and I was the only one who didn't, but over time I just got better at thinking about problem solving and solutions."

One of the most difficult things about entering the Cybersecurity career field isn't always education – it's exposure and hands-on experience. Through the guidance of an internship, students are better prepared for what is to come with prior work experience that will be indefinitely valuable to their career.

"The work that we do here at Cornerstone demands very high technical skill sets, curiosity, and agility," explained Kira Graves, an employee of Cornerstone who oversaw the program, which was hosted at KU Innovation Parkz. "We know that by giving them an opportunity to play with emerging and disruptive technologies, they're coming out of this ready to compete."

All three of the apprentices from Eudora High School completed the program and presented their capstone project during the first week of August. The project was a surprise gift to their JAG-K Career Specialist, Dana Chance. A birdfeeder unlike any other – with a built-in camera, and a website that takes and stores photos of the birds that come to visit, to be placed at the community garden at Eudora High School.

"I have three students in this apprenticeship," stated Chance, who played an instrumental role in getting her students involved with the program. "I have just seen enthusiasm. They have enjoyed learning new things and it's really opened their eyes to opportunities in the cyberworld."

JAG-K is proud of these students and can't wait to see what they accomplish!

JAG-K is a multi-year, in-school program for students in grades 6-12 that offers tools to successfully transition students into post-secondary school, the military, or directly into the workforce with marketable skills. Kansas’ 121 JAG-K programs serve approximately 6,700 students in 54 school districts across the state. JAG-K Career Specialists help students graduate and learn career, leadership, and life skills by executing a nationally-accredited, evidence-based model. Participants must meet criteria to be selected for the program and have potential to overcome various barriers to post-secondary success.

The 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization is a state affiliate of the national JAG program network which operates in 36 different states and territories. It is primarily funded through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant to the State of Kansas administered by the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). In addition to school districts and DCF, JAG-K partners with the Kansas Department of Education. Other JAG-K funding sources include but are not limited to; AT&T, the JB and Anne Hodgdon Foundation, John Deere, Johnson County Community College, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Gas Service, the Kansas Insurance Department, Mark One Electric, the Office of the Kansas State Bank Commissioner, United Way of the Plains, U.S. Bank and Walmart.

To learn more about JAG-K, visit www.jagkansas.org, or ‘Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas’ on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

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