THE DRIVE TO LEADERSHIP AND PROSPERITY
Kira Canada is just as much part of the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) organization today as she was in high school. An iJAG alum from Waukee High School, Kira serves as the President of the National Career Association (NCA) which is a four-chair leadership team that helps lead and influence the student experience for all 39 state affiliate organizations. She travels across the country and participates in JAG-related commitments weekly all while being a full-time student at Des Moines Area Community College, working part-time, and spending time with iJAG students in the classroom and at events.
Kira entered iJAG uncertain of her potential and future path and was also dealing with the unfortunate circumstance of her parents’ divorce which created emotional barriers that affected her attendance and performance in school.
iJAG sparked her to push herself academically and seek out leadership opportunities at her school and in her community, including becoming President of her iJAG class. Her passion for giving back and helping others continued to grow, and she soon found herself in nearly a dozen extracurricular activities. All the while, her school attendance improved and her academic performance peaked at a perfect 4.0 GPA.
After her NCA term ends and she wraps up her first year of college in the spring, Kira will transfer to a four-year university to start her educational path of becoming a lawyer.
“I am thankful for iJAG because it has taught me so many leadership skills and helped me decide what I will do with my future and how to get there. Being able to represent Iowa on a national level is one of the biggest honors that I will ever get to experience throughout my lifetime, and I have iJAG to thank for that.”