Area High School Students Among Top Placers at State JAG Conference

Monday, March 18, 2024 at 11:30 AM

Students from Milan, South Ripley, Franklin County and Lawrenceburg were among the top performers.

Left to right: Shelby Williams, Angel Tunney, Kelsey Halpain, Isaiah Lee and Piper Twiggs.

INDIANAPOLIS – High school students from southeastern Indiana were among the top finishers at the 2024 JAG Indiana Career Development Conference.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development hosted the annual event last Friday, which featured competitions that highlight the employability skills students have learned through the JAG program.

More than 145 students from over 50 Indiana high schools competed at the state conference for the opportunity to earn monetary awards in 14 categories, including the Outstanding Senior Award.

Local to finishers include:

Shelby Williams (Milan HS) – 1st place in Public Speaking
Angel Tunney (South Ripley HS) – 1st place in Writing Skills
Isaiah Lee & Piper Twiggs (Franklin County HS) – 3rd place in Entrepreneurship Plan
Kelsey Halpain (Lawrenceburg HS) – Outstanding Senior Honorable Mention

“Our state conference showcases skills vital to a student’s future success in employment, postsecondary enrollment, and/or military enlistment,” said DWD Commissioner Richard Paulk. “To build on the proven efficacy of JAG, DWD, under the leadership of Governor Holcomb, is in the process of expanding from 125 to 250 programs. Once the expansion is complete, JAG programming will reach an estimated 10,000 students annually, driving an outsized impact on their communities and the state of Indiana.”

JAG is a state-based, national non-profit organization dedicated to helping high school students of promise who have experienced challenging or traumatic life experiences achieve academic success through graduation. Students learn up to 88 competencies such as critical thinking, team leadership and effective communications skills to increase employability.

To learn more about JAG, including Indiana’s expansion of the program, click here.