Job Corps was Scarlett Emerson’s last shot.

“I was a problem child growing up. I made it to where I didn’t have a lot of options,” Emerson said. “If I didn’t come here, I probably wouldn’t have had a very successful life.”

But that is a far cry from where Emerson (Certified Nursing Assistant, Pharmacy Tech) is now – studying to earn a full position as a nurse, former president working in her trade and graduating from Whitney M. Young Jr. Job Corps Center as valedictorian of her class.

The recently crowned valedictorian said she was surprised at earning the cords.

“There are a lot of other people who did a lot of other things faster than I did,” she said.

But the numbers made the choice obvious, Training Director Stephen Burch said.

“We used the data. She had the highest TABE scores of any student in the graduating class in both reading and math,” Burch said.

Emerson is still on-center as she continues the next stage of her education at Jefferson Community and Technical College and beginning her career at The Legacy at English Station, where she works in memory care.

Long-term, she would like to become a traveling nurse – or perhaps even a director of nursing.

“I always liked the idea of traveling, going to places I’ve never been before,” she said. “There’s always a need for nursing.

Emerson remembers her time as SGA president fondly and treasures the friends she made.

“Back home, I didn’t have a lot of friends,” she said. “It felt good to have people supporting me.”

And what sage advice does Whitney’s most recent valedictorian offer to the students coming next? Stay positive and stay hopeful.

“No matter what’s going to happen, you can always stay successful,” Emerson said. “Just keep your head up and remember there’s always a way, even if it looks harder.”