Blazer High School Launches JAG Program Opening New Doors for Students’ Futures

Blazer High School Launches JAG Program

Opening New Doors for Students’ Futures

Sasha Bush

The Ashland Beacon

The energy inside Blazer High School could be felt the moment the doors opened. A sense of possibility—real, powerful possibility—filled the room as students, educators, and community leaders gathered to celebrate something destined to change lives. For many in attendance, this wasn’t just the start of another school initiative. It was the beginning of a movement. A movement toward confidence, careers, community, and the kind of success that doesn’t end when the cap and gown come off. That movement is called JAG: Jobs to Help America’s Graduates.

Kaylee Johnson, a student of Blazer High School and a member of the new JAG program introduced the program with clarity and enthusiasm, telling the audience, “You might have heard people talk about JAG and think, well, what exactly is JAG? JAG stands for Jobs to Help America's Graduates. It's a program designed to help build skills, confidence, and opportunities for life after high school. JAG focuses on helping us grow, not just with schoolwork, but with real-world skills like communication, setting goals, and learning how to handle challenges. We're learning how to show up as our best selves now and in the future.”

Her words captured the heartbeat of the program—preparing students not just for graduation, but for life.

A Celebration of New Beginnings

Principal Jamie Campbell followed, stepping up to the podium with a smile that mirrored the excitement buzzing through the crowd. “Good morning, everyone. I'm thankful that each of you could be here,” she began. “Today is a very exciting day here at Blazer High School as we celebrate the launch of our JAG program, an opportunity that not only opens doors but it builds skills and changes lives forever.”

For Blazer, this launch is more than a milestone—it’s a commitment. A promise to give every student the skills, support, and confidence to discover who they can become.

A Leader Behind the Program: Teresa Lewis Steps Into a New Role

One of the driving forces behind bringing JAG to Blazer has been Teresa Lewis, a dedicated educator who has taught at the school for four years. This year, she stepped into a brand-new role as the school’s JAG Specialist, a position focused on guiding students through skill-building, career preparation, and leadership development.

She explained her passion for the program in her own words: “Yes. I've been a teacher here at Blazer for four years, but this year I've taken on the new role of JAG Specialist, which stands for Jobs for America's Graduates. It is a program designed to help students with employability skills and soft skills and get them ready for life after high school and be able to support them after they've graduated.”

What makes the program even more meaningful to her is its small, relationship-driven structure. “My favorite thing about this program is they keep it small, so it's a it's a range of 45 to 65 students, and I can really make a great relationship with them, which helps them be more personable and ask questions and want to be involved more.”

She shared that one of the foundational skills students practice is simply learning how to introduce themselves—with confidence, eye contact, and a handshake. “I think one of the most important things we practiced is learning how to greet and introduce themselves and shake hands and make eye contact. I think they will leave this program being more confident and have better leadership abilities.”

Her leadership and commitment have already left a significant mark on the program’s launch and early success.

Unlocking Hidden Potential

Students themselves are feeling the impact. Isaac Ardeno, Vice President of Career Preparation, described what JAG means to those experiencing it firsthand. “JAG gives us a chance to help discover all of our hidden potentials in everyone. It puts us in a spot where we can try new things and help build our confidence along the way. JAG also gives us new opportunities, such as something you've never thought like, hey, I want to go into medicine, or I want to go into engineering. JAG helps us improve our real-world skills like communication, setting new goals, and so much more that we will all carry on after our high school years.”

For many students, JAG is the first time they’ve been encouraged not only to dream—but to explore.

The transformation is already noticeable. What began as hesitation—“I don’t know what this is… I don’t want to do this…”—has quickly turned into enthusiasm. Students now say, “We really like this, we want to do this, we want to be involved.” That mindset shift is exactly what JAG aims to spark: confidence, curiosity, and a readiness for the world ahead.

A Statewide Vision for Success

Guest speaker Ms. Marci Hanson brought a broader perspective to the event, speaking on behalf of Jobs for America’s Graduates in Kentucky. She shared her excitement and the vision behind the growing program across the state.

“It is such an honor to be here today to speak on behalf of Jobs for America's Graduates here in Kentucky,” she began. Stepping in for George Stafford, she explained his passion for ensuring a JAG presence at Blazer—a dream realized at this very celebration.

She detailed the statewide impact: more than 130 programs, including multiple out-of-school options, and one of the largest JAG affiliates in the entire nation. And through that growth, one thing remains constant: JAG is a community. A place where students become leaders, and where alumni look back and say, that program changed everything.

A Future Built on Confidence and Community

The launch of JAG at Blazer High School marks a powerful step toward expanding opportunities for students—opportunities to explore careers they may never have imagined, to build lifelong skills, to join a statewide network of leaders, and ultimately, to believe in themselves.

With strong leadership from educators like Teresa Lewis, passionate students ready to grow, and a statewide program committed to their success, JAG at Blazer is poised not only to expand—but to transform lives for generations to come.

And if the energy in that room is any indication, this is only the beginning.