Pioneer High School students striving for better future

On Wednesday, Dec. 7, students involved in the JAG program at Pioneer participated in their annual Installation and Initiation ceremony. Friends and family joined together in the Ormsby Room at the Sheriff’s Office to celebrate their involvement in the program.

More than 80 people were in attendance. Principal of Pioneer, Mr. Zona, Superintendent Mr. Stokes, and Sheriff Ken Furlong were some of the most noticeable witnesses.

As a dropout prevention program, JAG is a grant funded program targeting at-risk students to successfully graduate high school and then enter into the workforce, college, or military. Installation and initiation (or I&I) is intended to officially state the officers elected into JAG, and for all students to participate in a pledge that marks their commitment to self-discovery through the Jobs for America’s Graduates model.

As the JAG teacher at PHS, working with these young adults has been an absolute joy. I’m constantly amazed by their hard work. They came together as a team for this event, and considerably exceeded my expectations.

I’m humbled by their planning through this process. I truly believe that this JAG program will continue to grow stronger because of the high ceiling they have just set, and feel very fortunate to be taking this journey with them.

Trevor Freitas is a JAG Specialist at Pioneer High School.