At the recent Perry School Board meeting, there was a surprise visit at the beginning that brought some positive news to the District.

Teachers Tina Lutterman and Stacey Walton, as well as students Nathaly Ramirez and Marleni Grijalva got up during open forum to talk about the Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (iJAG) program at the high school. Grijalva and Ramirez went over their experiences with the recent qualifying competition for the iJAG National Student Leadership Academy. Along with fellow student John Borjas, Ramirez took first place in the project-based learning category, while Grijalva finished first in public speaking.

As a reward, the three students will be treated to an all-expenses paid trip to the national competition in Washington, D.C. next month. Each talked about how much the program has meant to them as both students and people, with Grijalva even going so far as to say iJAG has changed her life. Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks says hearing that from her was inspirational. “She said that with conviction, and they did talk about the different skills that they have demonstrated during iJAG. But more importantly, their confidence has increased, (as well as) their desire and passion to try to make a positive difference not only for themselves but for other people.”

Grijalva also talked about the internships she and Borjas held over the summer at Principal Financial Group in Des Moines, which was set up through iJAG. Both students impressed the employer to the point they each have job prospects after high school as a result. Wicks says it’s great to hear about the program working so effectively on so many levels, and feels the students and teachers involved will be great ambassadors for the school. To learn more, click the link below to listen to the Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program with Wicks.

https://raccoonvalleyradio.com/2018/10/lets-talk-dallas-county-1092018-clark-wicks/