Iowa Students Earn National Recognition at JAG Career Development Conference
More than 20 Iowa high school students recently traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, to compete at the National Career Development Conference (NCDC) hosted by Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG). The students represented Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (iJAG) programs from schools across the state, showcasing their leadership, career readiness, and professional skills on a national stage.
NCDC is JAG’s premier national event, bringing together more than 700 students from 32 states. The conference gives students opportunities to compete in career-based events, explore future career pathways, connect with employers, and demonstrate the skills they have developed through their local JAG programs.
Iowa students delivered an impressive performance, earning top-10 finishes in eight of the conference’s 10 competitive categories.
Iowa Student Achievements at NCDC
Iowa students and schools earned the following national honors:
- 2nd Place — Prairie High School (Cedar Rapids), L.O.V.E. (Lifting Our Voice for Everyone) Project
- 2nd Place — North Tama High School, Career Preparation
- 4th Place — Storm Lake High School, Prepared Speaking
- 5th Place — Clarke High School (Osceola), Financial Literacy
- 6th Place — Green Mountain-Garwin High School, Business Plan
- 8th Place — Green Mountain-Garwin High School, JAG Promotional Video
- 9th Place — North Tama High School, Employability Skills
- 9th Place — Green Mountain-Garwin High School, Project-Based Learning Showcase
Students qualified for the national conference after advancing through the Iowa Career Development Conference (CDC), held in Des Moines in March. The statewide event brought together hundreds of students from across Iowa to compete and build career readiness skills.
The Career Development Conference is one of many ways iJAG partners with Iowa schools and employers to provide career education, leadership development, skill-building, and work-based learning opportunities for students. Today, iJAG serves more than 11,000 students statewide.
“These students demonstrated exceptional leadership, preparation, and professionalism on a national stage,” said Wendy Mihm-Herold, president and CEO of iJAG. “I’m so proud of each of them and their specialists and staff who helped them prepare. We are grateful to the school, employer, and community partners, as well as our generous funders, who support our students every day to excel in their leadership, communication, employability, and financial literacy skills, and their civic and community service.”