Brianna Becerra, a junior at Wadsworth High School, was granted the title JOG leader of the year on November 1, 2023. The program JOG, which stands for “Jobs for Ohio Graduates,” awarded Becerra as this year’s leader out of all participating students in Medina County.

The primary goal of this program is to not only aid the youth in finishing their education but also provide them with resources that allow for a successful transition into employment or training at a post-secondary job. To be qualified for the leader award, students must meet the criteria of being enrolled in the JOG program, which Becerra began this year.

“The main qualification was being a part of JOG,” Becerra said. “It’s a program I joined this year. It offers many job opportunities for students in 10th to 12th grade. There are many more things it offers besides a summer job.”

In addition to the various opportunities that the JOG program offers, such as summer jobs, there are also events that people involved can attend. 

“As far as the award goes, being enrolled in JOG will automatically get you involved in these annual award events,” Becerra said.

Becerra was able to stand out as a leader in the JOG program through the numerous leadership positions that she has held within her school, community, and job setting. Lauren Eaken, the JOG teacher who granted Becerra the award, spoke of the various factors that led to Becerra gaining this leadership title at the award conference.

“Brianna is part of the Four Cities Compact Program at Wadsworth High School where she is taking the business compact,” Eaken said. “Through this program, she has put together numerous fundraisers for many different programs including last month for suicide prevention and awareness, softball programs, as well as her father’s wrestling team.”

Beyond the work Becerra has done within the Four Cities Compact, along with the peer mentoring program that she has become a member of at WHS, Eaken explained the significance behind Becerra’s role as a “page” at the Wadsworth Library under the JOG program. 

“Brianna has a heart of compassion and service,” Eaken said. “She was placed at the Wadsworth Library this past summer through JOG’s summer work experience where she became a page. Brianna not only assisted the library by putting books back on the appropriate shelves, but she was also able to lend a serving hand with the children’s programming department.”

For Becerra, there are a variety of feelings associated with being chosen as JOG leader of the year.

“I felt so honored to be selected for this award,” Becerra said.  “I am a first-year member of JOG and there are students that have been enrolled since their freshman year of high school; not to mention, I won out of all of the students enrolled in JOG in Medina County.”

On top of all of Becerra’s successes throughout this past year, Eaken also spoke on her own personal hopes for the future ahead of this year’s newly awarded JOG leader.

“My hope is that Brianna continues being a light and a leader within this world by encouraging others to put their neighbor’s needs above their own with the hopes of redefining what a leader means,” Eaken said.