Wind River Job Corps Graduate I'Javya Hague is heading to a job at SmilesDirect in Colorado.

Few things are as important as a smile for I’Javya Hogue, new graduate of the dental assistant program at Wind River Job Corps. From the Riverton, Wyoming campus, she will head to a position at the Smile Direct Club in Denver.

The “hard” skills she learned in the program are tangible. She is certified in BLS (basic life support) and OSHA10 safety, and received a state license in radiography.

These skills will help her to succeed in her career, but the “soft” skills she learned at Wind River Job Corps will help her succeed in life.

At WRJC I’Javya learned new communication skills, and how to work with people different from herself. As a leader and mentor to other students, she was able to engage with people in a positive and productive manner.

I’Javya says she feels she is better prepared for adulthood and expects to enjoy a career in a field she’s passionate about. But she also looks forward to a stable lifestyle that allows her to support her family and love people better. She says, “I found the better me when I found the better in me.”