“When we invest in our young people, we invest in the legacy of families and the ability for communities to thrive.” That’s the heartfelt sentiment of Hannah Garside Bowie, Roosevelt’s iJAG Specialist. iJAG is a classroom program that helps students learn life skills and prepares them for careers after graduation.
“I was recently blessed to attend the graduation of eight Broadlawns TECH graduates, all whom earned their Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Advanced CNA through a partnership with DMACC, DMPS, Urban Dreams, Broadlawns, Future Ready Iowa, and iJAG,” says Bowie. “Four out of the graduates were iJAG students, and two of them, Kyndall Gradford and Khadijah Sheikh, were from my program at Roosevelt High School.”
Both Gradford and Sheikh participated in the third cohort of a summer program offered to high school students/recent graduates to pursue a nursing pathway with purpose.
“It is a highly competitive program, with students applying from all over the district, and iJAG students are better prepared for these opportunities.” says Bowie. “With iJAG’s emphasis on career readiness and development of leadership skills, students take what they are learning in the iJAG classroom to these opportunities, and have a higher level of confidence and ability to navigate life after graduation with greater success.”
Broadlawns Medial Center’s TECH (Training and Education for a Career in Healthcare) program held its graduation on August 1, in a ceremony also attended by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. Roosevelt’s Gradford received the President’s Award from DMACC for academic success in the program, and all student
s were offered full-time jobs at Broadlawns.
Gradford and Sheikh are now working full-time at Broadlawns and are preparing to begin nursing school to further their training. Because of this partnership, they will be provided scholarship opportunities and part-time work as they continue their education.
“It’s just the beginning of their path in the healthcare industry,” adds Bowie. “It was great to see the support of so many who showed up to celebrate our future generation!”
Do you have an idea for partnering with students on career development? Contact Hannah Bowie at hannah.garside@dmschools.org today!