Student Success Stories: Zeke

06/30/2023

Sometimes the young people we work with come to us looking for one thing and walk away with something much more valuable. That is exactly the case for Zeke. He came to us at Tri-County Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG) looking to see how to get connected to SNAP benefits through Job and Family Services, but once he met with the staff at JOG’s Medina County office everything changed.

Zeke came to us with a mindset between a background of having to depend only on himself as well as learning from his found family. His support system that he had created came from a strong bond with his close friend turned girlfriend Elli, who was able to help him get a job at Giant Eagle. Elli’s family helped him learn what it was like to be a part of a family and even helped him enroll at Cuyahoga Community College.

While working with JFS, he was referred to us with the goal of keeping his SNAP benefits, but once he realized all of the work we could do alongside him, his plans changed. His support system grew from his found family to having a Career Specialist working with him to advance his career. His Career Specialist was able to help him feel supported and engaged in his future through the steps JOG takes as part of the JAG model. He got to work right away to help build his resume. Though he had quit his Giant Eagle job shortly before coming to us, he was determined to find something that better fit what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He prepared for this through mock interviews performed with his Career Specialist. This preparation brought him to a job at Carlisle: Brake and Friction as a Machine Operator. He has put his all into this job and just celebrated his 6-month anniversary on April 27th!

Outside of his hard work getting into a career which he enjoys, he recently graduated from Tri-C alongside his now fiancée Elli! Through the help he received from Elli, his found family, and JOG, Zeke is ready to take on whatever comes next for him. We are proud to have worked with such a fine young man and we are excited to see where his road takes him.

To read more about the JAG Model approach to working with students to find success, please check out the JOG website here.