News Release: JAG-K Students Travel to Wichita For Career Development Conference

Over 200 Jobs for America’s Graduates – Kansas (JAG-K) students and staff came together at the Hyatt Regency in Wichita for the program’s annual State Career Development Conference (CDC).

The event was sponsored by the Kansas State Bank Commissioners’ Office, and the event hosted judges from a variety of employer partners such as: Southern Star, Forvis Mazars, and Berkshire Hathaway – Pen Fed Realty. Berkshire Hathaway also helped create the prompt for the Creative Decision Making event.

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.

During this event, students compete in areas that prove that they possess the skills they are learning within the classroom – from mock interviews for Employability Skills to finding a solution to a real-world problem in Creative Decision Making, these competitive events are a place where our students showcase their hard work and dedication.

Additionally, students from across the state got to vote for the next cohort of statewide officers. Elected to serve as next year’s state officers were President Alani Burks, Junction City High School; Vice President Adaira Hutto, Winfield High School; Secretary Neo Allison, Eudora High School; Parliamentarian Brennon Stahlecker, Larned High School.

“State CDC is always an exciting event, and this year was no exception,” said Chuck Knapp, President and CEO of JAG-K. “This year may have been the highest level of competition we’ve seen. Regardless, it is always a great opportunity for our students to represent their school at the state level, no matter where they place in competition.”

The top three finishers in each event have earned the opportunity to represent Kansas at the National Career Development Conference next month in Salt Lake City. Our national qualifiers are:

Prepared Speaking: 1st Sophie Register, Augusta High School; 2nd Haley Huges, Manhattan High School; 3rd Hollisten Zimmer, Junction City High School

Career Preparation: 1st Amani Buentllo, Manhattan High School; 2nd Charly Estrada, F.L. Schlagle High School; 3rd Chylinda Kelly, Buhler High School

Employability Skills: 1st Eli Leiker, Norton High School; 2nd Bianca Uman, Emporia High School; 3rd Madison Smith, Kingman High School

Financial Budget: 1st Joel Umana Jumenez, Newton High School; 2nd Aaron Hubbard, Augusta High School; 3rd James Veerkamp, Basehor-Linwood High School

Project Based Learning: 1st Anthony Phoenix, Tyrone Wright Jr., & Kevin Walton Jr., Shawnee Mission North High School; 2nd Caleb Alvarez, Daijon Kent, & Brock Rogers, Topeka High School; 3rd Ashliey Aliwis, Adaira Hutto, & Ayden Le, Winfield High School

Creative Decision Making: 1st Jemma Ploger, Alyson Taylor, & Benjamin Sturgeon, Kiowa County High School; 2nd Jae’lynn Dennard, Jaden Exantus, & Kayden Bandag, Junction City High School; 3rd Kadence Kreuzburg, Jaden Means, & Raegan Stillwell, Augusta High School

Additionally, three programs qualified for nationals by creating a digital scrapbook in an event called Outstanding Chapter Books. Those schools were: Kiowa County High School (1st), Russell High School (2nd), and Eudora High School (3rd).

High school teams were also recognized based on their collective performance. There was a two-way tie for third place this year between Junction City High School and Emporia High School, while Kiowa County High School came in second, and Augusta High School took first place.

We are excited to send our students to NCDC and can’t wait to watch them continue their journey!

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’ 120 JAG-K programs serve approximately 6,000 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 32 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 ADM, AT&T, Barton Community College, EagleU, Goldstein Charitable Trust, Independence Community College, the JB and Anne Hodgdon Foundation, Honeywell, John Deere, Johnson County Community College, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Gas Service, the Kansas Insurance Department, Magellan Financial, Mark One Electric, the Office of the Kansas State Bank Commissioner, United Way of Kaw Valley, United Way of the Plains, U.S. Bank, Walmart and Washburn Tech.

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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