Y.O.U. Alumni Crew: Q&A with JayLessa
In this Y.O.U. Alumni Crew feature, we spotlight a Y.O.U. alum whose journey reflects the impact of our workforce development programming. For JayLeesa, the skills, confidence, and connections she gained through Y.O.U. helped take her from a JOG classroom to new career opportunities — and now, back to the classroom as a mentor to other young people.
JayLeesa once called herself the quietest student in the room. Today, she stands at the front of it — a Y.O.U. instructor for MAGNET’s Summer Manufacturing Academy, guiding Cleveland students toward careers they may never have pictured for themselves.
Now a second-year student in the Associate of Science program at Cuyahoga Community College, JayLeesa serves as a Manufacturing Experience Intern at MAGNET. Over the past year, she has hosted groups of students in grades 8 -12, introducing them to manufacturing careers through hands-on activities. This summer, she is working with a full classroom of Y.O.U. Summer Work Experience students at MAGNET’s career academy, helping them build professional skills and earn certifications that will serve them long after graduation. — a role that draws directly on her own experiences as a Y.O.U. participant.
It Started With JOG
JayLeesa’s story with Y.O.U. began during her senior year at Glenville High School, when she enrolled in Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG) to earn a seal she needed to graduate. What she gained was far more than a graduation requirement. Her teacher, Yolanda Veasy, gave students the freedom to explore professionalism on their own terms.
“Not only were we taught the basics for job readiness, but we were able to tailor leadership to fit our own traits.”
“I was elected as class president for my JOG class as the quietest student in the room.”
Uncertain of her abilities at first, JayLeesa leaned into the skills she was learning and soon found herself assisting with lesson planning, guiding peers through activities, and facilitating field trips and getting some of her first experience leading other students.
A Summer at NASA
Image Provided by NASA
As JayLeesa became more involved in JOG, Ms. Veasy helped connect her to other opportunities through Y.O.U. Based on the leadership JayLeesa had shown in class, Ms. Veasy encouraged her to apply for a summer work experience at the NASA research center. Y.O.U. interviewed her virtually and arranged shuttle transportation to and from work. That support that made all the difference for a high school student without reliable transportation at the time. The job readiness skills she had built in JOG carried with her into the internship. “The skills that I learned in my JOG class couldn’t have prepared me more perfectly for my summer at the research center. I found myself applying my job readiness skills as if it were second nature.”
During her work experience that summer alongside a few other Y.O.U. interns, JayLeesa helped 40 kindergarteners at the on-site daycare build hanggliders out of paper and straws. It was her first time working with students. Since then, she has held three internship positions supporting youth technical programs.
Full circle: Mentoring the Next Generation
While mentoring youth during a fall, JayLeesa met Jennie Becker, who would become her manager at MAGNET. The two realized they shared several Y.O.U. and CMSD connections, and by the end of the conversation, Becker asked whether JayLeesa would be interested in a job once her current position ended.
“Since I come from a background that was very limited in STEM educational resources, I love being able to share my knowledge with the youth of my community. Mentoring Y.O.U. interns after being one myself not too long ago feels amazing.”
Being close in age to her students felt nerve-wracking at first, but the leadership foundation she built in JOG helped her become more comfortable leading a classroom. She sees her blend of technical and educational experience as helping her show students what job-readiness skills look like in practice,and she wants every student to walk away believing in themselves.
“Their abilities are limitless. The talent displayed by the next generation is bold and unyielding.”
What She’d Tell Students Today
Reflecting on how far she has come, JayLeesa returns again and again to the classroom where it started and the teacher who saw her potential.
“Looking back to where I started in my JOG class at Glenville High School, my life has turned out to be exactly what Ms. Veasy envisioned for me.”
Her advice to current JOG students: make the most of every opportunity , start networking as early as possible, sharpen your public speaking and elevator pitch — and, in her words, “listen to your JOG teacher when they tell you that you’re amazing.”
“I always reflect on the teachers and educators who helped build my confidence and created a safe place for me and I try to recreate those experiences for my own students.”
