“When there is a will there is a way, and no matter how difficult the situation might be, one’s dedication and hard work will eventually overcome the hardship”. This was the initial message that Lamont Love, twenty three year old student of the Potomac Job Corps Center, relayed to me when we sat down to talk. 

 Back in 2007, fresh out of High School and eager to start his independent life, Lamont started a job hunt in his hometown of Dover, DL. After several months of futile job searching, he realized that he needed solid skills to be able to compete in the job market, and start off his career.

 “I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to become at that time, but the fact that I needed to increase my professional skills was obvious. I heard about the Job Corps Program from several of my friends, and finally, when even my mom has brought up the Job Corps program, I decided to give it a try’.

 Lamont Love started his journey with the Job Corps Program in June of 2007, when he joined the Red Rock Job Corps Center in PA as an automotive mechanic trade student. He successfully completed the trade in early 2008, and was immediately accepted as an entry level auto mechanic at the Hertrich Nissan and Jeep Dealership in his hometown. His career started to shape up, but soon after the hiring, a massive lay off took place at the Dealership, and Lamont was let go. For the remainder of that year, Lamont vigorously applied to countless dealerships and auto repair shops throughout the city. Coming from a small town in Dover, DL with the population of 30,000 plus people, the recession had its own dismal affect, and Lamont started to lose hope of ever getting a career.

 “Once laid off, things started to go back as when I was 19 with no job and no prospects for the future,” said Lamont. “I decided to get back in the Job Corps ] Program, and this time, let the Center be the foundation for not only my career path, but also for my relocation to the big city. I wanted to move on to a busy place, with great things to do… and I enrolled in the Potomac Job Corps Center located in Washington DC.”

 “I have been a student at the Potomac Job Corps Center since October of 2009, and I love everything about the Center, and about the city. I have completed the Business Technology Trade, half way through completion with the Security Trade, and during my free time I work as a part time Security Officer at the Allied Barton Security Company. Next month I plan to start advanced training on the Microsoft Certified Application Professional to become a network administrator”.

 I feel vibrant, delightful and also, very confident that soon I’ll start my chapter of a professional live with the proud statement- Recent graduate of the Potomac Job Corps Center.