Willing to Get Rid of the Best? Prepare for the Worst

These times are hard. We all see it around us with pink slips being handed out left and right. Everyone fears unemployment is just around the corner and sometimes it hits many by surprise, leaving them with no way to support not only themselves but their families. And of all people to let go of, why would anyone choose the best to say goodbye to?

The Federal Governement has cut the JAG budget by about $300,000. Like I said, we all realize these times are hard, but how may I ask, was this justified? How does anyone rightfully justify the extraction of teachers and staff who make the biggest impact on students' lives? Why take out those who help shape our future and give us the tools and experiences we need to become the best we can be. We are the generation to come and take charge of the this country. Why would anyone deprive us of the best education we could have? This country needs highly educated and qualified individuals to run the country. How irresponsible to take out the best and most important people in the lives of students!

Our JAG youth specialists and staff prepare us for the world like no other program has. The students themselves, from states all over the country, have spoken out about how JAG has changed their lives. JAG is known for welcoming students that every other person would label "a doomed failure" and turn them into a success that no one else would have dreamed possible for them. For every job shadow request we've made, our youth specailists made it happen like magic. We concentrate on teambuilding, employment skills, leadership and acedemic skills. We've volunteered at local food pantries and other locations within our communities. There's also a Summer Youth Program which we all take part in which employs us for six weeks so we get experience in the work force. Also, every year, students are chosen to make a trip to our Nation's Capital to participate in intense leadership activities and explore different areas of Washington, D.C. like Arlington Cemetary to appreciate what our country has done for us. We also have the chance to be Senate Pages. No other program goes this far for their students. "The opportunities are endless" is not just an expression when we join this program but it becomes a reality!

This program has done so much for students. JAG gives hope to those who have none. Our program in the small town of Woodsville, NH has students known as "screw-ups" and "quitters", musicians, artists, farmers, a teen mom and students from low income families. Because of JAG these students are getting the opportunities they would not have had otherwise. That is my biggest concern. Future students will not have these oppotunities that I've had and I've benefitted from so much. I'm a better, more motivated person because of JAG. I am a leader because of JAG.