The National Job Corps Association grades centers for their community and legislative outreach efforts on a quarterly basis based on points compiled for work completed. Each center must reach a minimum number of points to meet “gold” status. MTC (WRJC’s management contractor) has additional requirements to reach “MTC gold.”

Wind River Job Corps has met both of those gold requirements plus has scored enough points (687 at the end of the quarter) to place third in the nation behind Turner (in Georgia with 700 points, also managed by MTC) and Westover (in Mass. with 716 points, managed by API).

These points are derived from the stories and opportunities STAFF, STUDENTS, and the COMMUNITY create. Without the students, without our legislative and community supporters, there could no points. So we’d like to take a minute to recognize the people that put us in such a great position.

SHOUT OUTS go to:

Thank you to Stephanie Kobbe for her photographic help supporting our Dec. Graduation and Outstanding stories, and Hank Overturf. We pitched to media a general graduation story with photos, plus five student highlights, telling the story of their journeys to and through Job Corps. Stories were also published as posters and used on social media.

We had a couple of projects the Riverton Rotary supported including our Jackets for Jobs drive and our President’s Week with Senator Barrasso celebration. Shout Outs to Hank Overturf, Dave Peschio and Barbette Hernandez for sending us students to lunch with the Senator, as well as Jeff Rebitski. Additional Shout Outs to Barbette and Jeff for all the help with the Jackets program. Thanks go out to Senator Enzi (and Jennifer Hernandez) for making jacket donations and Senator Barrasso (and Pam Buline) for his Rotary visit.

We are so proud of Jamielynn Mazurek for being selected to join 5 others student from across the nation to represent Job Corps at the Home Builders Show in Las Vegas, and thank Dave Peschio for nominating her and allowing us to share her story with local media. Additionally we are so grateful to students Tim Schroeder and Tucker Hansen for filming and editing a very professional video for MTC’s website. And to her BCT tradesmates – thanks for letting us use you in the video!

Thank you to all of the staff and students who posed (and corralled kittens) for our Valentine’s THANK YOU photograph. The photo was made into large posters for our US legislators, and smaller Valentines cards for about 25 members/friends in the community.

The Women In History celebration, although cut short by CV19, was a big source of points for us as we used them as social media posts, news stories and posters. A BIG Shout Out goes to the participating students and staff that submitted nominations of women in history, plus allowed us to tell their story: Tori Chyne Aragon, Kourtnee Hyde, Milan Dishman, Christina Daniels, Skylor Smith, Maria Coen, Ana Valdez, KC Sausley, Hailey Smith, Sue Badwarrior, and Durshanna Cody along with Jorden Rasmussen, James Williams and Stephan Littleshield. Thanks to instructors that encouraged the nominations including Amee Lee, Barbette Hernandez, and Carla Soloman, and to Alex Hernandez, Kendra Hurtado and the folks in the trades building for posting the posters. And finally, thanks to Yailyn Haworth for her Spanish language translation of the Selena poster.

Thank you to Pam Buline (for Senator Barrasso), Lindy Linn (for Rep. Cheney) and Jennifer Fernandez (For Senator Enzi) for meeting with us on campus to discuss how we can meet our legislator’s expectations. Also, thanks to Wyo Senator Eli Bebout and Representative Lloyd Larsen for meeting with our BCL in Cheyenne.

Each year, we go back to Congress and ask for continuing funding. Our requests are supported by letters business leaders from our community send. We are very grateful to Alan Moore (Moore & Associates and IDEA Inc), Gary Michaud (WRTA), Mike Bailey (Bailey Enterprises), John Ferrelli (SageWest), Mayor Rich Gard (Riverton), Corte McGuffy (BTI), Ernie Over (WyoToday), Paula McCormick (WRVC) and Kevin Kershishnik (Pertech Industries) for their letters, as well as constant support.

And finally, Shout Outs to Jeff Stone, Drew Hughes, Jeff Rebitski and Barbette Hernandez for helping develop content for our daily TalkAbout e-newsletters!