Staff Interview: Morgan Dent
01/19/2024
We love to call our Career Specialists our JOG Superheroes because they are able to make such big impacts on our students’ lives. We do this through our unique education process in-school or out-of-school, helping students face challenges life presents them and everything in between. Specialists like Morgan are so important to helping our students grow into adulthood as well-rounded members of society.
Morgan came to JOG after previous work in County Boards of Developmental Disabilities, or DD. After being relocated to Akron, Morgan looked to join a nonprofit that helped people in a similar way to how she was able to help others previously. “I come from a social work background, and I love helping people,” said Morgan. She continued, “At JOG I get to help pretty much anyone that needs my help with very few limits. It’s rewarding and I get to feel good about the impact from my work.”
Career Specialists are in a unique position to provide work readiness and soft skills training while also being the "rock" for a lot of students getting through their day. When talking about some of the positives to the openness of her position at JOG, Morgan expressed, “I love working at JOG because I get to help anyone with really no limit to what I can and can’t help students with. I love just how open it is.” Working as a Career Specialist keeps you on your toes. No two days are the same. For Morgan, that is one of the best parts of her job, as she explains, “When people ask what my day to day is, I get to say that it is never the same day-to-day and I love that about working at JOG. When I get in, I don’t know what is going to happen and that helps me [feel engaged]. I have an opportunity to help students with something important and I get to go home and feel good about that at the end of the day.”
Our Career Specialists are so much more than teachers. They are mentors, allies, and some are the most trusted adults for our students. Morgan explained it best, saying, “You get to work with a diverse set of backgrounds at JOG. Everyone has something different that they bring to the table to help students. At the end of the day, the best part of the job is the students as other [Career] Specialists would say. On top of education, I get to help them through some hard things, and they trust me enough to tell me things that may have gone unresolved. Being able to be that person to help them through whatever they are going through is so important.”
Career Specialists like Morgan are the key reason we are able to help our students feel the most prepared for their futures. She has helped students feel heard and ready to go into their careers. We are proud of all of Morgan’s hard work and are excited to hear more about her positive outcomes here at JOG!