Bailee Schmidt, a JAG graduate in the Class of 2022 from Madison Consolidated High School (MCHS), understands the impact JAG has made on her life despite only graduating a few months ago. However, when she first joined JAG she did not know the extent of the program.
“I joined JAG originally, I didn’t really know much about it if I am being honest, but I knew that it would help with real world things. I knew that we worked on resumes and stuff like that, so I was like oh this would be a good class to take, but I didn’t even know half of what they did,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt started JAG her junior year, under (former MCHS Specialist) Whitney Mathews’ leadership. For her senior year, Sierra Shouse took over as specialist for Madison Consolidated’s JAG program. With two specialists during her time, Schmidt felt support from two mentors.
“Bailee was lucky, she had two great mentors,” Julie Thompson, Region 9 JAG Coordinator, said.
Throughout high school and especially her junior year, Schmidt faced bullying and mental health challenges. JAG provided a place for support, especially Schmidt’s two specialists.
“I feel like both of them did a great job of mentoring me. My junior year, like I said I dealt with a lot of mental illnesses and my mental health wasn’t great. Whitney Matthews did a fantastic job helping me on a personal level with that stuff. She also helped me find IUPUI, that is where I am going to college,” Schmidt said. “Sierra also helped me my senior year, come out of my shell a little bit and that is how I ended up being the social media coordinator.”
As social media coordinator, Schmidt oversaw the JAG accounts for Madison Consolidated High School. When Schmidt decided to graduate a semester early in December 2021, she remained active in the JAG program through her role as social media coordinator.
“I felt like I had more of a voice even being a social media coordinator. I felt like the other members listened and Sierra did a really good job of including me after I graduated early,” Schmidt said.
After graduating a semester early, Schmidt spent the rest of the school year working at the Boys and Girls Club, continuing her role as social media coordinator, and earning the Indiana College Core through Ivy Tech Community College. Throughout this past summer, Schmidt worked at Clearinghouse in Madison, Indiana, a job she found through JAG and River Valley Resources. Schmidt begins her freshman year at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in the fall.
“I am going to be majoring in psychology with a minor in criminal justice. I plan to do something with corrections. My goal is to eventually be in the VAU (Virtual Assets Unit) of the FBI. I really like learning about the brain and behavior,” Schmidt said.
Throughout the college application process, Schmidt used the JAG program to research universities, filling out scholarship applications, and resume writing. However, Schmidt found the most useful tip was learning how to communicate in both the workforce and college.
“It also helped me communicate better with my financial advisor and my personal advisor. It helped me learn how to communicate in a more business-like manner and get down to what I needed to get done,” Schmidt said.
Upon reflecting on her takeaways from JAG, Schmidt acknowledges the tools she gained for her future in education and the workforce. Furthermore, she recognizes the emotional and personal support she received throughout her two years at Madison Consolidated.
“I really grew to love JAG. Like I said, I didn’t have the best school experience growing up and JAG really made me feel loved. My specialists did a great job of supporting me and I could have the worst day ever and walk into that class and have a huge smile on my face because of my specialists,” Schmidt said.
תגובות