Following is the story of James as he tells it:

In the winter of 1988 I was a high school dropout that was unemployed, homeless and on the verge of starvation.  I had lived in my 1976 Chevrolet Monte Carlo from August 1^st to December 6th.  I visited the unemployment office everyday of the week attempting find a job.  Unfortunately no one wanted to hire an unskilled high school dropout.  While seeking employment one day I was informed about the Excelsior Springs Job Corps Center (ESJCC).  Being homeless allowed me to get into the Job Corps program quickly as an emergency case.  At first I did not know what to expect, but anything was better than living in my car.  I also knew that if I was going to be successful in life and not end up in prison like my father that I needed to finish school and acquire some job skills. 

 Once enrolled in the program I chose a trade in painting and drywall and began completing my high school academics.  I was fortunate to have many caring and helpful instructors in my trade, academics and dorm room life.  Ron Thomas was my trade instructor and the knowledge I gained from him is still helpful to this day even though I no longer practice painting for a living.  In my academics there were also many helpful and supportive teachers guiding me everyday.  It would be difficult to name all the persons responsible for guiding me to my current success.  I would like to thank each and every person that assisted me in learning new job skills and advancing my education.  I would like to send out a special thanks to Leah Johnson and Tim Smaller for reminding me that I could do what ever I wanted in life as long as I worked hard enough, you guys are the best!

 I graduated from ESJCC with a G.E.D. and completed my trade in painting a little over a year after I entered the program.  I wished to advance my education even farther, but the college program had not begun yet at the ESJCC.  So I ventured out into the trade world and worked as an apprentice painter for about eight months.  I had heard that the ESJCC was initiating a college program.  I reenrolled into Job Corps and completed a second trade in business clerical while I waited to begin college.  I was enrolled at Maplewoods Community College in the spring of 1990, while residing at ESJJC.  I concluded my first semester of college with a grade point average of 4.0.  In my second semester of college, I decided to move out on my own.  I was able to work full-time in grocery store retail and attend school full-time until I received my Associates degree in 1993.  I transferred my undergraduate credits to Central Missouri State University and attended school part-time while working as a youth specialist for the state of Missouri.   

 A few years later I returned to the ESJCC for a third time as a residential advisor.  Once again I found myself surrounded by people who genuinely cared for at risk youth.  It was great to be on the other side of the fence helping young adults make healthy life decisions.  After about two years as a residential advisor, I decided to go back to school full-time to finish my degree.  While working on my associate’s degree, I had taken a class in general biology.  I really enjoyed the class and decided that if I ever went back to school that I would attempt to study biology, so I started a degree program in biology at Central Missouri State University.  After completing one semester studying biology, I transferred to the University of Arizona and changed my major to Molecular and Cellular biology.  While working on my bachelor’s degree I worked as a student worker in the Department of Animal Sciences and the Department of Entomology to gain experience in a laboratory.  I learned molecular biology techniques that helped me obtain post graduation employment.  In 2004 I graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelors degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology.  I worked as a research specialist for the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Arizona for about 3 years.  In 2007, I enrolled into graduate school at the University of Arizona seeking a degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology.  In 2009 I completed my program required classes with a final GPA of 3.6 and passed my qualifying examination becoming a PhD candidate.  I should graduate in 2012 with a PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology.  My options for employment are to find a position as a post doctoral with a tenure track to become a professor or to find a position in industrial biotechnology investigating molecular mechanisms in pharmacology.   

 As a man of science and faith, I truly believe that everything I have accomplished in my life has been done through God.  He led me to the Excelsior Springs Job Corps Center and placed remarkably caring people in my life.  I would like to thank the caring instructors, counselors, staff and personnel at the Excelsior Springs Job Corps Center for helping become the person I am today and will become tomorrow.