Local ‘Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates’ Shine at Statewide Career Development Conference

Youth Solutions hosted its 15th Annual Career Development Conference (CDC) earlier this month at the Lansing Center. The event brings young participants from the Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG) program together to demonstrate the career and workforce development skills they have learned throughout the year. JMG is the flagship program of Youth Solutions, a nonprofit organization that aims to ensure every youth in Michigan has access to career-focused education and graduates with an actionable plan for postsecondary success.

Among the attendees were 29 JMG students representing Benton Harbor High School, Hartford High School, The Bridge Academy of Southwest Michigan, and the Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor.

These dedicated young individuals participated in a variety of career-based individual and team competitions, showcasing essential skills such as interviewing, problem-solving, and teamwork. Their participation not only demonstrated their personal growth but also highlighted Youth Solutions’ commitment to nurturing a skilled and prepared workforce. Collectively, this group of young people brought back 5 awards to their local programs, including Shunya Caughn’s well-deserved recognition as Youth of the Year.

“Being recognized as Youth of the Year at the Career Development Conference is a moment I’ll never forget,” Caughn remarked. “This program has given me the tools, confidence, and support to become a leader—not just in school, but in life. Representing Benton Harbor and standing alongside so many driven young people reminded me that our futures are full of possibility.”

The award ceremony concluded the event, recognizing not only the day’s competition winners, but also statewide Youth and Alumni of the Year, Exemplary Youth, and Notable Alumni Award recipients. Individuals were nominated for these awards by their JMG specialist based on their leadership, character, and commitment that define the core values of JMG.

Local Youth Recognized with Statewide and Regional Awards

Statewide Award – JMG Youth of the Year
Awarded to two active JMG participants who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to both the program and their personal goals.

• Shunya Caughn, Benton Harbor High School, a program of Youth Solutions

Regional Award – JMG Exemplary Youth of the Year
Recognizes one outstanding youth from each Prosperity Region.

Program-Level Awards – JMG Excellence in Youth Leadership
Celebrating students who go above and beyond in leadership and commitment.

• Alissa Cardenas, Hartford High School, a program of Youth Solutions

• Jasmine Bennett, Hartford High School, a program of Youth Solutions

• Kaylie Axsom, Hartford High School, a program of Youth Solutions

• Xavier Hardin, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Southwest Michigan

Competition Highlights

JMG Bowl, game show-style competition where teams compete against each other by answering JMG knowledge questions:

JMG Spotlight Video, teams created a 30 to 90-second commercial for JMG:

JMG Influencer, encouraged individuals to create content for social media that creatively shared their JMG story:

• 1st Place: Aubrey Ackerman, Hector Morales, and Kaiane Mendez from Hartford High School, a program of Hartford High School

Communicate to Create, where teams of 2-4 worked together as writers and builders to write clear, step-by-step instructions, and then rebuild the object using only the written instructions:

Prep to Impress, where individuals showcased their career aspirations by conducting mock professional interviews:

Headline photo:  JMG Youth of the Year Shunya Caughn, Benton Harbor High School