Braylon Judy, a senior at Manchester High School, has been elected president of the newly created Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Indiana Career Association.
Also elected to the slate of JAG association officers were a president-elect, secretary, and parliamentarian.
Northeast Indiana has 13 JAG programs at 12 high schools, including Manchester. JAG is overseen by Northeast Indiana Works and administered by Brightpoint.
Judy, vice president of leadership for JAG at Manchester, joined JAG in his junior year and said it has helped him develop leadership skills and improve his public speaking.
“I was not who I wanted to be,” he said. “I wanted to be this person people would look up to, but I never really had the skills to be that person.”
Rachel Bryant, youth evolvement manager for Brightpoint, said she is looking forward to watching Judy lead JAG students throughout the state to the next level.
“I could not be prouder that he has been selected to represent not just the state of Indiana but (our region) as well,” said Bryant. “Being voted as JAG state president will give Braylon the opportunity to be the voice and make an impact for our students on a national level.”
Christine Shaffer of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and manager of professional development for JAG Indiana said the four state association officers will be going to the JAG National Leadership Academy in Washington, D.C., at the end of November.
She said she will also be meeting with the officers soon to discuss what they’d like to do in leading the state JAG. She said activities may include carrying out a state service project or finding ways to support local career associations.
Judy will also be charting his college path, which likely will include majoring in theater arts with a minor in communications.