TAZEWELL, V.A. – At the Tazewell County Career and Technical Center (TCCTC), two students were recently selected as state delegates for the Jobs for Virginia Graduates (JVG) program.
It’s a position that was awarded to only nine students across Virginia.
Senior Miranda Brewster is one of the two selected; she tells us she wouldn’t have achieved this distinction without the JVG.
“When I first got here, I was a little bit on the shy side, but through JVG and a lot of other programs offered here at Vocat, it helped me open up, and I want to be a voice for the other students here to help them find something that they’re interested in and help them open up more as well.”
That sort of drive to help other students find a voice is what ultimately aided fellow senior Hope Looney in boosting her confidence and her ability to interact with others.
She says, “You can make many friends and just communicate with others. Personally, I’ve gotten to learn how to speak to people better and communicate better.”
As voices for the program, Brewster and Looney made the journey to our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., to share why they feel JVG is important to Virginia’s 9th District Congressman Morgan Griffith.
“It was just an amazing experience in general, and we got to talk to him and speak about JVG and all the programs through and everything,” said Brewster. “It really helped us network through him and talk to him, talk about the needs and funding for our organization.”
And it wasn’t just the congressman they spoke with; they also had the opportunity to network with people from other states and countries alike.
Looney says, “We got to communicate with people all around the world, from the Virgin Islands, Alaska, anywhere you can possibly think of. So, we got to network, meaning they split us up into different groups and we learned all about each other and what we do and where we come from.”
For those who are considering joining the JVG program, Brewster shares this encouraging message.
“Don’t be afraid to try something new in school. If it’s something you’re interested in, go for it because the opportunity is not always going to be there, and you may never know, you might meet your best friends or someone in the whole world in that program. You might find something that you’re really interested in.”
Next month, Brewster and Looney will be competing at the JVG Ignite State Competition.
Brewster will be competing with her teammates in a business competition, while Looney will be competing in the speech competition about the JVG program.
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