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“Josh” Leaving Behind Negative Influences in Lansing

“Josh” Leaving Behind Negative Influences in Lansing

Right Turn in Lansing is proud to highlight Josh for his continued leadership and involvement in the Right Turn program. Josh was referred to the Right Turn program by his Juvenile Court Officer in July 2017. At the time of enrollment, Josh was on probation for Truancy and enrolled in Cyber Education Center, a local alternative high school, to complete online courses. He was also interested in finding a part-time job. Josh has a strained relationship with his mother, to the point where he lived with friends for a little while during a rough patch with his family. He shared that he was spending time with a negative group of peers and was involved in illegal activities.

Since enrollment into the Right Turn program, Josh was placed in an On the Job Training (OJT) work experience with the City of Lansing Parks and Recreation Department, which has since turned into a part-time summer job. He also stopped hanging out with a negative peer group, and was matched with a mentor. He has gained leadership experience from his OJT as an Activity Leader with the Lansing Parks and Recreation Department in addition to being an intern for the Youth Leadership Academy. The Youth Leadership Academy was a weeklong academy held in June 2018 in collaboration with the Lansing Police Department and Lansing Fire Department. These experiences have opened many doors for Josh and he has even changed his career path to a field where he can work with children. While enrolled in the Right Turn program, Josh has attended a college tour and decided that once he graduates from high school he would like to go Wayne State University.

Josh has really taken advantage of the opportunities offered through Right Turn. He is now employed with the Lansing Parks and Recreation Department as an Activity Leader for summer camps at various community center locations within Lansing, MI. In the future, Josh would like to work his way up to a supervisory level and plans to stay with the Lansing Parks and Recreation Department until he goes away to college. Right Turn staff has been very impressed with Josh’s initiative and leadership skills. We are very excited to see what he accomplishes with his education and career goals in the future.