My name is Shagari McNeil. I am a student in the office administration/business technology career technical training program at Lyndon B. Johnson Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center in Franklin, North Carolina. I discovered Job Corps and the opportunities it offers through my family. After much research and learning different perspectives, I decided to enroll. The variety of training available to help get me a high-paying job led to my decision to enroll.

I chose the Office Administration/Business Technology trade because I wanted to immerse myself in business technology and see more of what that world has to offer. The field has a variety of opportunities with a diverse number of positions. The training will open new doors and expand my knowledge of the business environment. I have learned multiple software programs that are used daily in an office setting. The programs that I have earned certifications in include Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and IC3, a program that teaches about computer hardware and software. These skillsets will help me when I enter the workforce and complete assignments that require paperwork, documentation, filing and presentations.

I have also gained important business social skills. Learning and working with a variety of people in different environments has helped me improve my restraint, discipline, communication, observation, time management and other soft skills, helping prepare me for the professional world on a variety of levels. Attending LBJ  has helped me create a more structured plan regarding my future. I have positioned myself for a better life and it is something I’m truly grateful for.

Job Corps has taught me new skills and how to learn more effectively, which helped me in my internship as an editor/writer at The Franklin Press Newspaper. My internship exposed me to a new world of journalism news, stories and community. My job responsibilities included writing articles, calling different organizations, conducting interviews and participating in weekly meetings. Learning about different writing styles for different types of articles was enlightening. Observing the way journalists gathered information on events and political activities demonstrated the responsibilities a newspaper has in providing information to the public.

Although many may consider newspapers an outdated way of receiving news, a newspaper maintains a cultural tradition essential to informing rural communities, the country and the world of current events. When you want a break from technology but still want to know what is going on around you, the newspaper is the perfect resource.

Studying office administration has also reinforced my interest in technology, languages and linguistics. I am fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Learning these languages has increased my knowledge of linguistics. Learning basic software skills and applying them to a target language has given me a head start in the field. Learning foreign languages is what introduced me to etymology. I find language and etymology fascinating. The different connections and origins of prefixes and suffixes that illustrate a word's meaning and the meaning that it carried during antiquity is truly astounding. Etymologically analyzing words that are of Latin origin has helped me comprehend the meaning of words. During high school anatomy class, the word vena cava was introduced. I assumed that it meant “hollow vein” or “a hole was in a vein.” It was fascinating to break down the word from its Latin origin and seeing that vena means vein in Spanish and that cava, which sounds similar to cueva, which means “cave.”

Learning three languages has completely changed my perspective on the world. Language is in everything we do, and understanding different languages has helped me interact with the world on a more profound level. I have a more profound perspective on the world through language. Job Corps has taught me the discipline necessary to use my skills to be best of my ability.

Through my experience attending a Forest Service Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center I have a better understanding of how I can use my love of language better serve the public. I would enjoy using these skills in a Forest Service position to help others, especially to cross language barriers and respond to clients who need information in their native language. By providing this service, I feel like I would be able to help the public stay more informed and understand the importance of our public lands. My experience at LBJ Job Corps has provided new possibilities for me and has opened my eyes to a potential future as a Forest Service employee. I’m grateful for the opportunities that the Forest Service Job Corps program has afforded me, and I would enjoy a career with the Forest Service.

Shagari McNeil recently completed a work-based learning internship with The Franklin Press. He wrote a feature article entitled Understanding Generational Differences for its opinion section, which was published on June 21, 2023. McNeil is interested in obtaining an office administration internship with the Forest Service under the Public Lands Corps authority.