Free State students take several top honors at statewide JAG competition

Free State High School students took home a handful of honors at this month’s Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas (JAG-K) Career Development Conference, it was announced Monday.

JAG-K students from both Free State and Lawrence High School competed in the event, which was April 1 at Cowley College in Arkansas City. Free State placed in three events: first place in Digital Scrapbook, second place in Short Video and second place in the Mannequin Challenge Video category. Individual winners include Rae’Chel Atkins, sixth-place award in the Employability Interview category, and Ross Riley, who tied for fifth place in the Employability Skills Test.

Free State was accompanied by Lawrence High School JAG-K specialist Melissa Jackson and her students Julia Hamill, Hayley Smith and Kimbree Vincent. They competed in the JAG Bowl, Decision Making, and Employability Skills Test, according to a JAG-K news release.

JAG-K students from across the state meet annually at the Career Development Conference, competing in 21 categories showcasing “the employment skills and talents of every JAG-K student,” the news release said.

JAG-K is a not-for-profit organization that partners with students facing various barriers to success, helping them graduate from high school and move forward into successful careers, according to JAG-K’s news release. The organization has 62 programs in 29 school districts across Kansas, serving more than 2,800 students.