(INDIANAPOLIS) – About 175 high-school students from across the state competed in 11 different categories at the 12th annual Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Career Development Conference on May 8.
Originally scheduled in March, the conference was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and held virtually at the Indiana Government Center in downtown Indianapolis. Administered by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, JAG is a state-based, national non-profit organization that assists high-school students with earning their diploma.
The annual event allows JAG students to show off their talents and compete for financial prizes with their peers. This year, regional winners were challenged to compete virtually and send their efforts in for judging. DWD Commissioner Fred Payne, Associate Chief of Workforce Programs Leslie Crist and Director of Youth Initiatives Brianna Morse presented awards, which were broadcast on Facebook Live.
“The JAG program helps students to graduate from high school with a better sense of self, including their capability of setting and achieving career goals,” Payne said. “JAG students participating in this year’s event received the recognition that they so rightly deserve.”
Outstanding Senior:
- 1st Place: Hadley Sheffer, Princeton Community High School
- 2nd Place: Alyssa Rivera, Twin Lakes High School
- 3rd Place: Zaria Townsend, George Washington High School
Honorable Mention:
- Sarah Boaz, Mitchell High School
- Jose Campos, Avon High School
- Olivia Daugherty, West Vigo High School
- Emily Eis, DeKalb High School
- Hunter Irwin, West Washington High School
- Caroline Kirby, Madison Consolidated High School
- Eduardo Salazar, Elkhart Memorial High School
- Brittany Sanders, Westside Leadership Academy
- Megan Stahl, Monroe Central Jr./Sr. High School
Chapter Marketing Plan:
- 1st Place: Brown County High School
- 2nd Place: Madison Consolidated High School
- 3rd Place: DeKalb High School
Cover Design:
- 1st Place: Jayden Pate, Bedford North Lawrence High School
- 2nd Place: Sierra Hunt, New Albany High School
- 3rd Place: Reanna Searcy, Arsenal Tech High School
Career Presentation:
- 1st Place: Alissa Bickerstaff, Manchester High School
- 2nd Place: Patsi Ward, Elkhart Memorial High School
- 3 rd Place: Victoria Brown, Eastern Hancock High School
College Success Programs:
- 1st Place: Amy Young, Vincennes University
- 2nd Place: Lauren Dunlap, Ivy Tech Fort Wayne
- 3rd Place: Shania Creamens, Vincennes University
Creative Solutions:
- 1st Place: Logan Redmon, Avon High School
- 2nd Place: Thomas Comer, West Washington High School
- 3rd Place: Ellyea Switzer, McCutcheon High School
Critical Thinking:
- 1st Place: Bethany Edmondson, Martinsville High School
- 2nd Place: Alexis Higgins, Avon High School
- 3rd Place: Chandlor Acree, Monroe Central Jr. Sr. High School
Employability Skills:
- 1st Place: Shadiamond Johnson, Terre Haute North High School
- 2nd Place: Tiara Edwards, Brownstown Central High School
- 3rd Place: Lavanna Dike, Bedford North Lawrence High School
Entrepreneurship Plan:
- 1st Place: Zoey Ream and Elaine Shock, Manchester High School
- 2nd Place: Hailey Hash, Cameron Payne, and Owen Taylor, Brown County High School
- 3rd Place: Keegan Law and Trevor Pike, Whiteland High School
Financial Literacy:
- 1st Place: Kaylee Jones, Sullivan High School
- 2nd Place: Cheyenne Erickson, New Albany High School
- 3rd Place: Dewitt Pollard, North Montgomery High School
Project-Based Learning:
- 1st Place: Madison Consolidated High School: Laney Cox, Abigail Hanson, and Daesja Jay
- 2nd Place: Whiteland High School: Anthony Emerson and Kennedy Garrett
- 3rd Place: Southridge High School: Audriana Craig and Sara Hughes
Public Speaking:
- 1st Place: Marlin Walker, River Forest High School
- 2nd Place: Jacob Smith, Madison Consolidated High School
- 3 rd Place: Amara Duncan, Terre Haute North High School
Writing Skills:
- 1st Place: Alayiah Jones, Hammond High School
- 2nd Place: Eeve Williams, Lawrenceburg High School
- 3rd Place: Hannah Stonerock, Monroe Central Jr./Sr. High School
Hadley Sheffer, a senior from Princeton Community High School, took home the 2020 Outstanding Senior award, the most prestigious award, honoring the student that extols the virtues of JAG and commits to doing so in the future.
Alyssa Rivera of Twin Lakes High School finished in second place, while Zaria Townsend of George Washington High School placed third.
New this year to the conference was the College Success Program competition, which featured JAG Indiana students from Vincennes University, in addition to the Ivy Tech campuses in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne.
