Staff Interview: Nalaya Lind
09/23/2024
Instilling JOG Values through Meaningful Connections with Nalaya Lind!
Having caring Career Specialists on our team is one of the ways the JOG program stands out. These Career Specialists help their students see the importance of learning real-world skills for after graduation. Nalaya Lind is a great example of a caring Career Specialist who goes above and beyond to prepare her Akron students for their futures.
Nalaya joined the JOG team in 2023 after working with young people in the Behavioral Health Department of Akron Children’s Hospital. Her past experience helped shape her approach to implementing the JOG curriculum and conducting meaningful conversations with her roster of students: “I explain what we do as providing a hand to teach the soft skills that you wish you would have learned in school. These are things that help answer questions like: What are taxes? What is a pay stub? How do I apply for a job? What is a resume? How do I fill out scholarships?”
One of Nalaya’s favorite experiences during her time at JOG was the process of developing a strong relationship with a student-turned-JOG-participant at Firestone CLC: “One of the students on our roster would come in and bring his best friend. After some time of talking to this [other] student when he came to our room, he started staying longer and opening up more.” It wasn’t long until the student latched onto Nalaya’s classroom as a safe space to improve in school and plan for the future. This relationship deepened with time: as Nalaya explained, “You could tell he was taking the advice I was giving him and internalizing it.” She reflected, “That’s really the best part of my job is seeing the work that we did together get put into action.”
Nalaya’s time with JOG has helped to show the importance of work readiness and preparation for what comes next to Northeast Ohio young people. She has passed along skills that they will hold onto and use for life. From budgeting to interviewing and even conversation skills, these are skills that can be used in many ways, even if these participants don’t know it yet. The world needs more Nalaya’s in it, and we are so lucky to have her as a part of the JOG team!