Gateway 2 Jobs
Source: Poplar Bluff Schools
(Back row from left) William Owens, Shane Cassin, Eleazar Tapia, Justin Ferrell and Antonio Tims; (front row) Kathryn Brady and Nicole Eason.
Two Poplar Bluff Graduation Center students earned scholarships and eight were awarded certificates of completion by Mayor Betty Absheer through the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce’s Gateway 2 Jobs program on Thursday, Nov. 19.
“I’ve had wonderful mentors in my life who taught me that education can help me move from one level to another,” said G2J co-founder Sharon Kissinger of Kissinger & Kirkman Investment Centre. Earlier the financial consultant told the students about her struggles raising two children as a teenager.
Nicole Eason, a junior, was nominated to receive the second annual G2J scholarship from the Three Rivers College Endowment Trust, announced Student Loan Management Specialist Karen Beers. New this year, Kissinger took her passion for at risk students to another level by awarding sophomore Kathryn Brady a $500 college scholarship as well.
The G2J program, which started five years ago, takes high schoolers through a series of exercises including resume writing and mock interviews, with help from business professionals and educators who serve as facilitators over the course of several weeks. According to Kissinger, the program is recognized by prospective employers in the community.