With aspirations of one day owning his own business, Jason Clark currently works as an Operations Warehouse Associate at the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. When he isn’t working, the 20-year-old attends Mott Community College, where he is studying accounting.
Clark, who graduated from Kearsley High School, participated in Summer Youth Initiative twice – once for Genesee County Parks and once for Lakeville Community Schools.
Looking back, he says the experiences taught him the importance of teamwork and helped him build his professional network.
“The connections I made with my SYI co-workers and supervisors have been incredibly important to me,” says the Kearsley High School alum.
Below, Clark talks more about his job, TeenQuest and more.
What does an average day at work look like for you?
There’s a lot to do. I’m sorting food, packing orders, unloading deliveries and making sure the volunteers understand what they’re supposed to be doing. I’m always thinking about what needs to be done next, so there’s never time to just sit around.
How did TeenQuest help prepare you for the working world?
It taught me about the interview process. It also showed me how important it is to have a good work ethic if you want to keep your job and be the best at it.
What is your favorite part of your job?
We always have new groups of volunteers coming in, so I get to meet a lot of good people.
What is your favorite work-related memory?
My first day on the job. I had to work with a group of 100 people, and we were doing something called a “quick sort.” We had to move fast to make sure everything was sorted properly and organized.
What is some career advice you can offer to current and future TeenQuest students?
Work hard. Find what you love and stick with it.
TeenQuest and Summer Youth Initiative are made possible through the generous support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Ruth Mott Foundation, Hagerman Foundation, and other generous funders.
Also in the August 2017 issue of Afterschool Download: