LITTLE EGG HARBOR – As Maureen Neuner headed to lead one of her Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) classes, she stopped to greet three of her students chatting in the hallway.
Neuner’s eyes lit up as she engaged the Pinelands Regional High School girls in some quick small talk. Then, without any hint of judgment, Neuner praised one of the students for making it into school.
Not feeling the need to be defensive, the high school senior admitted she needed some downtime and stayed home from school for a couple of days. Later, it became clear that absenteeism presents as one of the challenges in Neuner’s classes.
Fifty young people with great promise participate in Pinelands’ JAG program and meet with Neuner five days a week. The classes are divided between a mix of juniors and seniors.
As the district’s JAG specialist, Neuner seeks to inspire and prepare students faced with decisions for life after high school.
She began her third period class with a quick survey of student attendance. Just as industrial plants keep a scoreboard of days without recordable injuries, Neuner counts the number of days no one’s been absent from class.
“We’re down one today,” the teacher sighed. “We almost made it to 100 percent.”
The JAG program’s curriculum focuses on numerous career-oriented competencies to give students direction and critical skills. In addition, Neuner brings in guest speakers who share thoughts on various topics. A representative from every military branch comes in, as does an assortment of professionals who talk about their careers.
Students learn about putting together resumes, applying for jobs, and mastering interview techniques. Meanwhile, Neuner’s classes also benefit from a holistic approach to everyday challenges. For example, a pair of guest speakers recently focused on mindfulness as part of the development of life survival skills.
Janel Gonzales, Director of School Based Youth Services, and Lauren Dean, Youth Development Specialist, led the class through exercises that began with two rounds of blowing bubbles. Most of the students subsequently followed instructions to bow their heads for five minutes of meditation.
The speakers concluded their presentation with a discussion on mindfulness and asked the students for feedback on the concept.
“It can help you to stop thinking so much,” said Corey Conway, a senior. “It’s better to stop worrying about the past. It’s better to worry about the NOW instead of overthinking things.”
The students took a few moments to introduce themselves, as did others in Neuner’s fourth period class. Some acted a bit shy when it was their turn, while others admitted they had no idea what they wanted to do in the future.
As the introductions went around the room, many of the students expressed an interest in joining the armed forces. The Coast Guard seemed the most appealing for those who planned to enlist.
Meanwhile, a surprising number of students expressed an interest in becoming realtors. It turns out a guest speaker left a considerable impression on the class as a means of making a good living after graduation.
Other students planned to pursue careers in a wide range of areas, from athletic training to jobs in healthcare or assorted trades. One young woman wanted to learn more about becoming a designer, and another thought she’d enjoy becoming an esthetician. A high school senior intended to pursue a career as an English professor.
Few gave as many details as Sadie Sweet, a junior. She laid out how she plans to accomplish her goals.
“I want to go into the military,” Sadie shared. “I then want to use the GI bill to go to college and be a writer.”
“Growing up, writing has always been an outlet for me,” continued Sadie. “I just like getting my thoughts down on paper. I want to write books about mental issues, about the things that people go through and others don’t understand.”
While the group nodded in agreement that they enjoyed the JAG class and their teacher, one student articulated what she felt was the biggest asset to the program.
“We all have careers in mind but don’t really understand what’s required,” Isabella McAllister said. “The speakers coming in helps to direct us and gives us many more options.”
Neuner emphasized that there’s more to the classes.
“We want the students to learn to be financially responsible,” shared Neuner. “We cover all topics from credit to stocks and bonds and savings.”
“We just want them to be ready to get out into the world and face it head-on,” Neuner continued. “Our biggest thing is we want them to be successful.”
Neuner’s involvement with her students doesn’t come to an end when they leave the confines of Pinelands Regional High School. The dedicated teacher follows up with graduates and continues to support them.
The Class of 2021 included 39 graduates from the JAGs program. When Neuner followed-up with them in December, she accumulated some encouraging results. Six of last year’s seniors moved on to four-year colleges; three opted for two-year colleges.
Eight of last year’s graduates work full-time and don’t go to school at all. Eleven manage full-time jobs and are continuing their education. Six have part-time jobs and go to school; two maintain part-time employment and do not attend school.
One of last year’s JAG graduates enlisted in the military. Two students are unemployed and available for work or school.
An Award-Winning Program
Sandra G. Strothers, Ph.D. serves as the Executive Director for Jobs for America’s Graduates New Jersey. She indicated that the JAG program has been in existence for four decades across the United States.
According to the JAG-NJ website, the national movement has “delivered consistent, compelling results – helping more than 1.5 million young people stay in school through graduation, pursue post-secondary education, and secure quality entry-level jobs leading to career advancement opportunities.”
In New Jersey, only six school districts participate in JAG. Pinelands Regional High School is the only one in Ocean County. Even though they only started their program in 2019, the district has an amazing list of accomplishments.
First, there’s Neuner herself, who was selected as a JAG Specialist of the Year in 2020. She received acknowledgment for demonstrating excellence in program coordination, community partner acquisition, and JAG management.
Next, students who participated in last year’s JAG-NJ Career Development Conference Competition won several awards as follows:
Career Marketplace Display – 1st Place: Tiffany Lombardi and Courtney Burns
Career Path Presentation – 1st Place: Skylar Callahan and Alyse Wasylkowski
Creative Problem Solving – 1st Place: Haley Piasecki, Kortnee Coleman, Arielle Moody, and Mason Leiter
Dollar Scholar Financial Literacy – 3rd Place: Connor Woods, Trisha McCallister, and Sophia Jehnke
Employability/Interview Skills – 1st Place: Gabriella DiMauro
Photo Competition – Together We Rise – 1st Place: Alexandra Ellison
Pinelands/JAG-NJ Activities Presentation – 1st Place: Chloe Hayek, Gabriella DiMauro, and Mickenzie Horay
JAG-NJ Chairman Award for JAG Student of the Year: Cameron Starke
Neuner’s plans include many more guest speakers and lessons on practical life skills. She schedules field trips and readily shares what she thinks about the fifty students she sees every school day.
“They are really a great group of kids, and I love working with them,” she said. “Even after they graduate, they know I am a resource for them to reach out to if they need help with “real-life challenges.”
