An around the world journey for former Job Corps student, Jose Torres, began in Miami, Florida back in 2004. On October 26, 2004 Torres left his home and family in Miami and traveled to Muhlenberg County to start his educational adventure at the Muhlenberg Job Corps in Greenville.  Little did he know at that time his life’s adventures would include stops in Tokyo, Thailand, Nagasaki and other areas on the continents of Asia and Europe.

 Torres says the Job Corps program afforded him the chance to get his high school diploma, a career technical skill and his driver’s license.  He fondly remembers his days at Muhlenberg and traveling with Nolyn Fueller and Jim Price on the Bike Club to Multiple Sclerosis fundraisers.  Torres said, “I wasn’t the best student in the world but Job Corps discipline helped me grow and reach my goals.  It is a good program that helped jump start my career.  I will be forever grateful for what Job Corps did to help me meet wonderful people and have a nice standard of living.”  Torres’ advice to current Job Corps students, “Be grateful, make the best of the situation you have been given and use Job Corps as a stepping stone to make you a better person.”  Torres said, “I have traveled all over the world and have not come across a program like Job Corps anywhere, there is nothing like it!” 

 After completing his high school diploma and Business Technology trade at Muhlenberg, in January of 2006 Torres joined the United States Navy in the delayed entry program.  While he waited to be inducted into the Navy he worked as a marketing manager for some theaters in Miami.  This was the beginning of what has become an exciting career opportunity for Torres.  The call to the Navy came in December of 2006.  Torres says, “My time in the Navy afforded me the opportunity to travel to many places I had only dreamed of visiting in my lifetime.”  Torres served in the U.S. Navy as a boatswain’s mate and traveled with the U.S. Seventh Fleet aboard the USS Essex all over the Pacific.  He supervised maintenance of the ship’s compartments, decks, deck machinery and equipment.

 In November 2010 Torres completed his stint in the Navy and stayed in Japan to kick start his career in cover writing, photography and fashion designing.  Torres is twenty five years old and currently holds an Associate of Arts in film. He will be moving to Italy in the near future to enroll in the European Institute of Design.  At EID he will work on obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in photography, video and fashion design.  From Miami, Florida, to the Job Corps in Muhlenberg County, to Japan and on to Italy, quite a ride for a young man who came to Job Corps just wanting to get his high school diploma, a skill and make his life better.