Jacob Downing is excited to get to the next stage of his education – but he also hoped to leave his mark.

It’s safe to say that the recent welding graduate has succeeded – as he departs for Excelsior Springs Job Corps Center for advanced training in their Railroad program, Downing can look back at his time at Whitney M. Young Jr. Job Corps and smile at some fantastic accomplishments.

Downing served as a member of the student government association as the Sargent at Arms, which he said was extremely rewarding. He got the chance to serve as an ambassador for Whitney and create new opportunities for future students

Downing also founded and headed a guitar club on-campus after cleaning and repairing both the music room on campus and the guitars within.

“It was very rewarding,” he said. “I got to start the guitar club I know and love and that will continue on here for years.”

Lastly, he was the first welding student to enter the Work Based Learning program since COVID.

“When I first went in, it was a little intimidating,” he said. “There was a lot of high speed welding that needed to be done. I didn’t know high speed welding…Once I got the groove of things, I started laying down good welds that held strong and looked accommodative to what they need.”

Now, Downing heads to the next stage – he’s headed west to  learn the railroads – Missouri, to be exact.

“I’ve always had this dream, since I was a kid, to work with the railroad, maybe as an engineer,” Downing said. “I’m finally able to reach out to those steps and accomplish that dream.”