Statistics quantify that fifty percent of foster care youth will never graduate from high school or obtain a GED; and only fifteen percent will attend college. However; with strong de-termination, twenty year old Antonio Fortson has proven that “Statistic” doesn’t write his story; he does. Confused and ter-rified from being placed in the Foster Care system at 13 years old, Mr. Fortson’s will not just for survival but also a piece of the American Dream, drove him to never give-up. After grad-uating from Collinwood High School, Mr. Fortson enrolled in college but unfortunately was not quite ready for it yet. A friend suggested that he enroll in Job Corps to get the structure and support he needed to get on his feet, and on November 24, 2014, Mr. Fortson joined the Cleveland Job Corps “Family.”
He completed the Medical Office Support trade and soon learned about an opportunity to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a firefighter. He immediately enrolled in the Cleve-land Job Corps’ Advanced Career Training partnership with Cuyahoga Community College to join the Fire Academy. Re-grettably, Mr. Fortson underestimated the rigorous course-work of the Academy and withdrew. Nevertheless; he refused to give up, recouped and devised a plan. He decided to stay on Center, enrolled in the Sign and Display trade and adhered to stringent studying habits. Mr. Fortson could be seen daily in the Leisure Time Learn-ing Room studying the Fire Academy course material, as well as working to improve his math and reading skills. Mr. Fortson re-enrolled in the Fire Academy determined on becoming a firefighter. Grit and newly developed study habits allowed Mr. Fortson to defy the odds. He passed every test and not only completed the Fire Fighter I (Basic), but the Fire Fighter II (Advance) course as well. He is on his way to making his dreams come true “I have always wanted to be somebody that people can depend on and looked up to,” voiced Mr. Fortson. “To be a hero.” Antonio Fortson is the on-ly Cleveland Job Corps student who has been accepted and passed the Fire Training Academy.
After completing the program on June 6, 2016, Mr. Fortson was offered a summer mentoring job with the Cuyahoga Community Colleges Boot Camp program for underserved middle school aged and young adults. Commander Daniel Waitkus of the Fire Training Academy at Cuyahoga Community College Western Campus selected Mr. Fortson to unveil the new Key Bank logo displayed in the entry way of the Health and Safety Training building. Immediately after the ceremony Mr. Fortson lead a team of three cadets in extin-guishing a fire for training purposes. Mr. Fortson recently applied to the Schenck Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers Advanced Training program in North Carolina to study Advanced Fire and Wildland Management. In the next five years, he plans to have his Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Paramedic certifica-tions. “You should find yourself, before someone else finds a place for you that you don’t want to be,” is the message Mr. Fortson has for Job Corps students. He also suggests that students should take every opportunity to take care of business while they are here.