We’re incredibly proud of Josh Swindells, recipient of the 2022 Governor’s NCWorks Award of Distinction for Outstanding Young Adult.
Josh is legally blind, having been born with a condition that left his eyes underdeveloped. He never attended high school because his family was transient. Once he was old enough, he got a job at Papa John's to help his family. That’s where Josh first learned about earning his high school equivalency (HSE) credential.
In fall 2020, Josh signed up for the NextGen Youth Program, a partnership between Goodwill, Davidson-Davie Community College (DDCC), and the Piedmont Triad Regional Workforce Development Board. NextGen supported Josh as he pursued his career and education goals, starting with earning his HSE.
NextGen Youth Coordinator Traci Crisco met with Josh often to discuss his progress. The NextGen team helped Josh prep for his HiSet exams and provided gas cards for him to get to school. Josh’s hard work paid off in February 2021 when he successfully completed his HSE at DDCC. With Traci’s assistance, Josh found a job at Food Lion and quickly became a manager.
Last fall, Josh enrolled full time at DDCC – the first person in his family to attend college. When Josh stopped by the NextGen office after his first day of classes, he was beaming. He loved the college experience and his instructors. That first semester, Josh earned a 4.0 GPA, made the Dean’s List, and became a Global Scholar. He landed a Gilman Scholarship to study in France this summer. He’s working on an Associate in Science in Information Technology, with a career goal to work for the CIA in the field of cyber security. Through his determination and tenacity, Josh has been able to get a limited driver's license.
We were honored to celebrate Josh at the NCWorks Partnership Conference on Oct. 13, and we can’t wait to see where he goes from here!
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