Pictured are North Texas Job Corps student leaders Dejiah Reed, Denise Cole, Mariah Washington and Melanie Smith.

Four top student leaders at North Texas Job Corps were special guests at the Collin County NAACP Branch Annual Freedom Fund Scholarship Luncheon held  Feb. 8th at the Embassy Suites in Frisco, TX.  Attending the luncheon were Dejiah Reed, President of the Student Government Association Outreach Committee; Denise Cole, SGA vice president; Mariah Washington, SGA president; and Melanie Smith, SGA committee chairman.  The keynote speaker was Christopher Scott, founder of House of Renewed Hope, a non-profit organization committed to investigating the convictions of individuals who maintain their innocence.  Scott was wrongly convicted of capital murder in 1997 and spent 13 years in prison before being exonerated.

“It was an excellent program and it reinforced my belief that we are all the same,” Cole said.  “Mr. Scott was an amazing speaker.  He really touched my heart because he was able to find forgiveness for the persons who wrongfully convicted him of capital murder even though he was innocent.”  The students and Recreation Specialist Irma Monroe networked with other guests at the luncheon and shared information about job training programs at North Texas Job Corps.