After nearly four years of construction, Glenmont Job Corps celebrated the official opening of its new dormitory buildings just in time for the organization’s 50th anniversary.
A reception and ribbon cutting was held on Friday, Sept. 26, so members of the community could tour the new dorms. Previous students were invited back to see the refurbished campus, while current students acted as tour guides.
“The new dormitory is part of a multi-year construction project that vastly upgrades our campus,” said Center Director Deborah Snape. “It reflects our commitment to continue this worthwhile education and job-training program for many more years to come.”
The project began in 2010 and cost an estimated $23 million to complete. The improvements consisted of demolishing the older dorms, building two new dormitories to separate male and female students, creating new recreational areas and installing electrical upgrades throughout campus.
The new dorm rooms sleep four students and include a bathroom with shower. Each wing includes a mixed entertainment/common room with a flat-screen television, while the buildings also have study rooms, new laundry rooms and a small office for the dorm’s residential assistant.
“You have a beautiful campus and a beautiful center,” said Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor Aneta Hrebenko to the students. “Please take good care of this campus and your dorms for all of the future students. Not all students have such a wonderful campus. Please know that.”
Hrebenko asked the current Job Corps students to study and work hard, get their credentials and be successful in the real world.
The event also marked the 50th anniversary of the Job Corps program.
The initiative was started by Robert Sargent Shriver Sr. and was founded by President Lyndon B. Johnson as part of his administration’s “War on Poverty.” Since then, about 2.7 million students have used the program to receive a high school equivalency diploma or job training in a specialized field. About 60,000 low-income students are enrolled each year.
As part of the event, several former and current students were invited to speak about how Job Corps changed their lives for the better.
Kerry-Ann Wilson Ashley graduated from the Job Corps program in 2000 after dropping out of high school.
“I didn’t know what my plans were,” said Ashley. “I had no goals set out, and someone put a bug in my ear about Job Corps.”
She said the program was a bit of a shock. The workload was structured and heavy, and in the same year, Ashley was able to receive both her GED and cosmetology license. She worked at several local hair salons before opening her own in 2004.
“The journey was short, and I had no idea at 22 I would be opening my own business,” she said.
Ashley now owns Heaven on Earth Salon in Albany, and she was able to expand the business in 2012 to a more than 3,000-square-foot facility.
“I’m so excited to be able to come here and share my story with you guys, and just last month I celebrated 10 years in business,” said Ashley. “This is my first time back since I graduated, and as I was driving back, I was getting a little emotional.”
To learn more about the local Job Corps campus, visit www.glenmont.jobcorps.gov.
