Perkins student excels at Work-Based Learning internship, heads to college



Kimberly Forth accepts a certificate of excellence from Tony Grubb,
director of the Floyd County Conservation Office.

 Carl D. Perkins Job Corps student Kimberly Forth, 24, received certificate of excellence for her quality work during a Work-Based Learning internship with the Floyd County Conservation Center. Kimberly received the certificate from Tony Grubb, director of the Floyd County Conservation Office, after she completed eight weeks of off-center Work Base Learning at the Conservation Center, where she helped with various community activities, banquets and working in the office.

Kimberly enrolled in the Job Corps program on Feb. 20, coming from Trevose, Pa. She has completed training in the Hotel Lodging field, and started her first day of college on Aug. 13 at the Big Sandy Technical & Community College in Prestonsburg, Ky., where she will pursue a degree in Special Education. “Without the Job Corps Program, I would not be able to attend college,” Kimberly said.

Muhlenberg Job Corps graduate changes lives through AmeriCorps

Vanessa Ruff, a 22-year-old from Crawfordville, Ga., who says she is “just trying to change lives,” is doing so in a big way through the AmeriCorps program. Ruff learned about AmeriCorps when she was a student at Muhlenberg Job Corps in Greenville, Ky. While completing her career technical training program in Medical Office Support at Muhlenberg, Vanessa realized she didn’t really know what she wanted to do with her life.  However, she did know that she enjoyed working with people, and after hearing about AmeriCorps, she believed it was something she could do. On Feb. 27, Ruff began her time with AmeriCorps, and it has been “all about work” since she began.

 According to the AmeriCorps website, www.americorps.gov, “AmeriCorps is an opportunity to make a big difference in your life and in the lives of those around you. It’s a chance to apply your skills and ideals toward helping others and meeting critical needs in the community.” Full-time members who complete their service earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to pay for college, graduate school, or pay back qualified student loans. Those who complete part-time service receive a partial award, and some AmeriCorps volunteers may also receive a modest living allowance during their term of service.

On her first spike, an AmeriCorps term used to describe travel or the next work assignment, Ruff went to New Orleans, La., to help rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.  While there, she got to meet the people and hear their stories about the event that took their homes. And although there was always work to do, Ruff and her fellow AmeriCorps volunteers also were able to enjoy New Orleans, including attending “The Lion King” musical and meeting many different stars.

After New Orleans she and her team traveled to Saucier, Miss., to assist a children’s home.  The team pruned trees, made birdhouses and completed other landscaping work to beautify 100 acres of land.  They also made signs and cleared bike trails so the children could ride their bikes. Their next stop was Virginia, to lay new water pipes for a community that didn't have the money to pay for a contractor to do the work.  The AmeriCorps team that Ruff is a part of performs all kinds of work, from painting, building homes and working with kids to cutting grass and hanging dry wall.  “There are a lot of people who my team and I have touched through our work,”   Ruff stated.  “AmeriCorps is a great program where you learn so many skills, get the chance to travel, and meet great people.”   Ruff said, “My goal in life is to help as many people as I can, especially children.”  Through the AmeriCorps program she is getting that chance on a daily basis.

Vanessa Ruff, front row, left, with her AmeriCorps team members.

Perkins students pass ServSafe exam, become ServSafe certified

Several Carl D. Perkins Job Corps Centers Culinary Arts students are now “ServSafe Certified.” The students, under the instruction of Chef Terry Marrs, are Amber Jones, Clint Gardner, Austin Smith, Heather Lida, Brittany Fraley, Matthew Love, Anthony Maynard, Ruben Rawlins, William Simmons and Daniel Turnage. They spent the last four weeks studying for the ServSafe exam.

The ServSafe Food Handler Program is a complete program designed to delivers consistent food safety training to employees. The program covers five key areas: personal hygiene; cross-contamination and allergens; time and temperature; and cleaning and sanitation. All Culinary students are required to complete the training and pass the exam before they do actual cooking within the class.

With Chef Terry Marrs, left, are Perkins students who recently became ServSafe Certified, left to right, front row, Amber Jones, Clint Gardner, Austin Smith and Heather Lida; back row, Brittany Fraley, Matthew Love, Anthony Maynard, Ruben Rawlins, William Simmons and Daniel Turnage.

Students jump back into community service following summer break

Andrew Clark poses with Med Flight helicopter.

It didn’t take long for Carl D. Perkins Job Corps students returning from their summer break to again start helping their community. Immediately upon returning from summer break students were helping with various community activities and the Kentucky State Little League tournament.

On Thursday, July 26, just hours after returning from summer break, students from various career technical training programs helped the National Business College of Pikeville, Ky., set up for its annual Healthy Fun Fair. Andrew Clark, Nathalie Avero, Jennifer Gregory, Matthew Anderson and Terry Johnson got on the road early Thursday morning, to help set up tents, games and classrooms and to help with other tasks that needed to be completed. However, student Andrew Clark did take a minute to pose beside the Med Flight that landed for the mock ATV wreck training exercise.

Then it was on to other events, including the Kentucky State Little League tournament at the Stonecrest baseball facilities, where Security and Protective Services students provided assistance with event parking on Thursday and Friday.

SPS students assist with parking for the Kentucky State Little League tournament.