04/14/2026
This story depicts a young man who had the willingness to change from the person he was to the person he is becoming. Montrell we are so happy that we chose to have you here with us! As our time comes to an end we wish nothing but the best for you. We are so proud of the man you are becoming!
Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates
Summit County Success Story
GO PROGRAM
March 2026
Leon Wade
A teenager with no formal education may seem quiet, withdrawn, and fearful in
unfamiliar situations. Because they have not yet had the chance to learn in a structured
setting, they may struggle to express themselves, understand directions, or feel
confident around others. Being naturally introverted can make them even more hesitant
to speak, participate, or ask for help, especially when they feel scared or unsure. With
patience, kindness, and gentle support, this child can begin to feel safe, build trust, and
slowly grow in confidence and ability. For Robinson, being enrolled into Summit
County’s, Jobs for Ohio’s Graduate’s (JOG) Growth Opportunity (GO) program was the
breakthrough of coming into his own.
Robinson was nominated by his new school’s enrollment specialist for GO Program with
hopes that this would provide the resources he needed. As a young child and into his
early teenage years, Robinson and his younger sibling had been subjected to a lot of
abuse and neglect to the point they were placed in the custody of a relative. Those early
experiences had taught Robinson to rely on the streets for survival. Attending school
had been replaced by being on the streets and instead of dreaming as most children his
age had, Robinson had little expectation anything or hope for the future.
When his Career Specialist, Leon began the GO Program enrollment paperwork in
October of 2024, within minutes there was connection with Robinson. That connection
grew stronger over the next few months and the change in Robinson started to become
noticeable. By the time Christmas Break rolled around, Robinson had begun to attend
school on a regular basis, achieving academic success and began to develop
expectations for himself. Robinson’s upward growth and transformation continued into
2025. Meeting weekly with his career specialist, Robinson had a new attitude and
outlook about life. He had gained the soft skills that prepared him for his very first work
experience and landed Paid Work Experience (PWE) at a local automative shop,
accepted his responsibilities, and even gained the confidence to sign up to compete in
the Financial Literacy competition at the 2025 Career Development Conference (CDC).
By the end of summer of 2025, Robinson successfully completed over 200 PWE hours
and had become the perfect candidate for the CCMEP program. The year 2025 ended
with another highlight for Robinson, as he had worked tirelessly to improve his
academic standing and now at current grade level status for his English and Math
courses.
Robinson’s persistence continues to pay dividends as he has grown socially with peers,
acknowledged by his school staff as a modeled student and initiative-taking to be
successful. Robinson is so motived to be successful that he has maintained his PWE
and is and is getting firsthand experience in the automotive industry. Robinson now has
ambitions to take the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified test to become an
ASE Certified A-Series mechanic.
The GO Program team is extremely proud of Robinson’s growth and development over
the past year and a half. What Robinson has worked to overcome shows what
accountability, determination and motivation. The GO Program is grateful to work with
Robinson and knows that he will continue to be a Rock Star!
