After graduating from high school, Irvin Grant did not know what he wanted to do in life until his Aunt Donna Toomer recommended Job Corps. In May 2017, he earned his Clinic Medical Assistant certification and began working for a plasma clinic. However, in 2018 Irvin decided to come back to the Cleveland Job Corps to pursue his certification in Carpentry.

During his enrollment, he was a member of the Safety Cadet and enjoyed volunteering at Safety Fairs, along with the 5th District Police Department’s Ice Cream Socials and Halloween Parties. He completed the program in July 2019, after earning his Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10, United Brotherhood of Carpentry, Scaffolding, and Green Awareness certifications. On the same day, Irvin boarded a plane for Austin, Texas to embark on a new journey with AmeriCorps.

Irvin is so excited to be learning more skills by building and maintaining trails in Austin, Texas, in addition to aiding his AmeriCorps team address food insecurities in the area. “I owe my success to the dedicated staff at Job Corps that helped me learn interviewing skills, resume writing, and job exploration,” stated Irvin. “Also, the work-based learning opportunities that give you real hands-on experience in your trade area. It’s tough but the end result is an amazing feeling of accomplishment