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June 9, 2021 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com
‘TALENT’ from cover year is his last year with the program. “I’ve performed all over the place – (in) metro St. Louis,” added Staten. “And I have (gone) out of town and did performances for the Boys and Girls Club of America.” According to Staten, he chose “Not My Father’s Son” by Cyndi Lauper, which is about facing hard times with a father, to connect with all listeners of his performance. He stated that he hoped he would win the competition, but he was more excited to see the other performers. The teen who recalled his past self “eye-opening” performance as Michael Jackson’s scarecrow role in the Wiz, cites some of his inspirations as Adele, Beyonce’, Bruno Mars, and Stevie Wonder. “They push and inspire me with their music to tell my story,” shared Staten. Photo courtesy ProPhotoSTL.com Staten was not the only winner from North Troy Staten, a McCluer High School’s 2021 graduate, recently took home an $8,000 scholarship as an award for winning County. Amani Goodson (Parkway North High first place in this year’s St. Louis Teen Talent Competition, which was pre-recorded at the Fox Theatre April 9-10 and School), Amiyah Harlan (Parkway Central aired on PBS May 24. High School), Amaiya Knuckles-Johnson and Staten’s performance and the entire competition is available for Ravyn Stubblefield (Hazelwood Central High School), Amiyah McClure (University City High School) and Anijah Warlick (Car- online streaming at ninepbs.org/teentalent. “I am still going forward with my dream – I will continue,” states dinal Ritter College Prep) were third place winners of the $4,000 Staten. “My name will be world-wide soon and I am really confischolarship award for their contemporary dance performance to ‘Ultralight Beam’ by Kanye West. The second place prize of a dent in it.” Teens may now register for the 12th Annual St. Louis Teen Tal$6,000 scholarship went to Aubory Bugg, Vocalist and Guitarist ent Competition at https://www.foxpacf.org. from Granite City High School.
COMMUNITY VOICES
By Dr. Dave Baker
St. Louis Job Corps gives career training to underserved young adults Since its inception in 1964, Job Corps, administered by the United States Department of Labor, has assisted young men and women ages 16 through 24 to improve their lives through career pathway identification and training. Participation in Job Corps is absolutely free and provides financial incentives for those who choose to take advantage. Our priority at St. Louis Job Corps is to provide stability to individuals who may have experienced trauma, homelessness or disappointment with education. Health and dental care, housing, meals and the opportunity to earn a high school diploma are foremost in our service to the community. Because the St. Louis Job Corps Center (4333 Goodfellow Avenue) straddles the line between St. Louis City and County, we are centrally located to many of the neighborhoods we serve. As a public educator, I often witnessed the struggles of students who wrestled with forces beyond their control. What was commonly absent from education for these young people was relevance. If you and your family struggle with housing, food and safety, traditional academic subjects usually take on little relevance. Job Corps’ mission is to locate young men and women for whom education may have become irrelevant and to guide them back onto an effective path so they can finish what they started. Our objective is to help them build a better life and become part of a necessary workforce that supports a variety of industries including construction, hospitality, healthcare and the United States Military. My role as the Business and Community Liaison (BCL) provides opportunity to meet with current students and alumni, discussing their achievements, their goals and why joining Job Corps is/was a good decision. During a recent conversation with a student who was ready to successfully graduate from our center he stated, without hesitation, that Job Corps saved his life. He explained that he dropped out of high school and prior to enrolling in Job Corps he
was homeless; his prospects were bleak. He wasn’t dramatic and there was no indication he made the comment for affect. His goal is to move to New York and work in the airline industry; because he is completing our Advanced Transportation training program, that goal is likely realistic. As I walked away from that brief interaction, I choked-up. The fact that this young African-American man so easily and quickly let his guard down to explain his life situation and goals to a 54-year-old white man he had just met struck something. For just a little while the cynicism that is so heavy in our world today faded. I accepted the BCL position because I was confident my professional experience would benefit the St. Louis Job Corps Center. Five months into the role I realize I am the beneficiary of an opportunity that allows me to be a small part of an organization that can profoundly improve lives. If you have a young person in your life who deserves the opportunity to get back on track, visit the St. Louis Job Corps website today @ stlouis.jobcorps.gov and click the Contact Us tab to connect with our Admissions Department. Dr. Dave Baker acts as the Business and Community Liaison for the St. Louis Job Corps Center. In June of 2020 he concluded a 31-year career as a Missouri public educator where he most recently served as an Assistant Superintendent with the Special School District of St. Louis County, overseeing career and technical education. Dave is a board member of the Special Education Foundation of St. Louis County, the Starkloff Disability Institute and the Missouri Women in Trades (MOWIT) organization. The opinions expressed in this column are the columnist’s alone and do not reflect the opinion of the owners or staff of Community News.