Carman-Ainsworth High School Graduate, Jewel Langston, has been working hard toward her future. After graduating high school, Langston attended Mott Community College, where she received an associate’s degree. She then went on to attend Wayne State University where she received a Bachelor of Science in business management.
“When I first graduated from Wayne State, I was working third shift at a casino,” says Langston. “I was trying to find my footing as an adult when I applied with Rock Connections.”
There, the recruiter at Rock Connections referred her to a client experiences position. With that position, she worked with partner company StockX until March 2020 when her company shifted to help the Detroit-area brace for the pandemic.
“When everything shut down, I was in Chicago,” says Langston. “After coming back, I had to self-quarantine and then everyone started working from home. I was supposed to transition to a different team, however, the company needed help with Project Halo.”
According to Langston, Project Halo helped Detroit citizens schedule COVID-19 tests at the beginning of the pandemic. Now, she works with a team that supervises contact tracers for those monitor those who were exposed to individuals who tested positive for the virus.
Moving forward, Langston has big plans and states that Rock Connections and the family of companies has a lot of opportunity for growth.
What are your plans for the future?
I want to transition into human resources. My current supervisor knows this and is helping me build my administration skills and will assign me tasks to help do that.
How did lessons learned in TeenQuest help you on your path to this position?
Through Summer Youth Initiative, I had a summer job every year after I graduated TeenQuest up until college. It helped teach me how to work with different types of people, increased my communications skills and taught me business etiquette.
When I went to college, I could see a difference in myself compared to my peers who may not have had an opportunity like TeenQuest or Summer Youth Initiative.
What skills did you use from TeenQuest when interviewing for your position?
Learning how to update my resume and adjust it for the position that I applied for, making sure I made good eye contact in my interview and practicing common questions before the interview like naming my strengths and weaknesses.
What is a memory you have from TeenQuest/Summer Youth Initiative?
Working my last SYI job at Mott Workforce Development. Some of the relationships I built there I still have to this day.
What advice would you offer current TeenQuest students?
Take advantage of all the programs and opportunities they have to offer. And don’t be nervous in your interview!
What is your proudest moment since TeenQuest?
Last year I started doing community service projects and it sparked a passion in me. This year I have six community projects lined up. It gives me a great sense of pride to be able to give back to my community.
TeenQuest and Summer Youth Initiative are made possible through the generous support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.