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Celebrating the Outstanding Youth and Alumni of the 2025 Career Development Conference

Updated: May 2



One of the most inspiring highlights of our annual Career Development Conference (CDC) is the awards ceremony, where we proudly recognize exceptional Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG) youth and alumni from across the state.


This year’s awards honored not only competition winners, but also our statewide Youth and Alumni of the Year and Notable Alumni Award recipients — individuals who embody the leadership, character, and commitment that define the core values of JMG.


Statewide Awards


JMG Alumni of the Year

This prestigious honor recognizes a JMG alumnus (Class of 2024 or earlier) who exemplifies the lasting impact of JMG:

  • MD Kolil – Pershing High School, a program of Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation


JMG Youth of the YearAwarded to two active JMG participants who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to both the program and their personal goals:

  • Jeremiah Smith – Capital Area Michigan Works! Clinton County Service Center

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


Regional Awards


 JMG Exemplary Youth of the YearSelected from top Youth of the Year nominees, these outstanding youth represent excellence in leadership, commitment, and achievement across Michigan’s Prosperity Regions:


Special Awards


Notable Alumni of the Year

This distinguished award honors JMG alumni whose exceptional achievements, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the mission and values of Youth Solutions and the JMG program serve as an inspiring example to others:

  • Christian Dunn – Flint Genesee Job Corps, a program of GST Michigan Works!


Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Scholarship Winner

Through fundraising and advocacy efforts, our YAC members raised $500 to award a scholarship to a youth pursuing post-secondary education or career credentials:

  • Annabelle Leathorn – Michigan Works! Region 7B Ogemaw Heights High School


2025 CDC Competition Winners 

Our career-based competitions gave students hands-on experience to prepare for the workforce. Each challenge was judged by dedicated volunteers who provide valuable feedback to help shape the future leaders of Michigan:


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

    • 1st Place: Valeria Torres from Hartford High School, a program of Youth Solutions

    • 2nd Place: Paige Buning from  UP Michigan Works! Delta County

    • 3rd Place: Brook Ward from Michigan Works! West Central, Mason County


  • 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:

    • 1st Place: Hartford High School, a program of Youth Solutions

    • 2nd Place: Wexford-Missaukee Career Tech Center, a program of Networks Northwest

    • 3rd Place: Genesee ISD, a program of GST Michigan Works!


  • Product Design, teams of 3-4 are given 30 minutes to design a product from common items, as well as create a marketing pitch and 3-minute presentation to judges: 

    • 1st Place: UP Michigan Works! Luce County

    • 2nd Place: East Jordan and Central Lake High Schools, programs of Networks Northwest

    • 3rd Place: West Michigan Works! Muskegon and Kent Counties


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

    • 1st Place: Sexton High School, a program of Capital Area Michigan Works! 

    • 2nd Place: Benton Harbor High School, a program of Youth Solutions 

    • 3rd Place: Southwestern Classical Academy, a program of GST Michigan Works! 


  • 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

    • 2nd Place: Hannah Bakalar, Lillian Coyne, and Lia Cucinella from Wexford-Missaukee Career Tech Center, a program of Networks Northwest

    • 3rd Place: Aniya Oden from GST Michigan Works! Flint Service Center 


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

    • 1st Place: Wexford-Missaukee Career Tech Center, a program of Networks Northwest 

    • 2nd Place: Wexford-Missaukee Career Tech Center, a program of Networks Northwest 

    • 3rd Place: Hartford High School, a program of Youth Solutions 


We couldn’t be prouder of each and every one of our JMG youth and alumni award winners, and the incredible things they continue to achieve. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram— and be sure to also follow our Youth Solutions Facebook page for more CDC highlights and stories!


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