State Career Development Conference Creates Lifelong Impact for Students
The State Career Development Conference (CDC) is an event that Lexi Vazquez and nearly 600 other 11th and 12th-grade iJAG students look forward to every year. Lexi, one of four State Career Association (SCA) student officers for 2024-2025, reflects on key experiences from GMG High School iJAG that prepared her to capture first-place finish in the Prepared Speaking competition. Lexi, along with 24 other Iowa students, earned a spot to compete at the National CDC at the end of April in Indianapolis, Indiana.
For Lexi and many other students, preparing for a student competition at CDC is not done overnight. In fact, this opportunity is an accumulation of several years of experience and practice as soon as you enter iJAG. Specifically for the Prepared Speaking competition, Lexi began gaining an understanding of communications through engagements with legislators and employers, in-classroom iJAG activities that were centered around organizing and preparing ideas and thoughts, as well as confidence-building exercises with her iJAG Career Education Specialist, Ms. Raymond. “iJAG helps you get out of your comfort zone while building the confidence to do so,” said Lexi.
When it came time to compete at CDC, Lexi relied on presentation feedback from her classmates and individual practice time with Ms. Raymond to make sure she was ready to deliver a national-qualifying performance. ”My classmates and Ms. Raymond bring out the best version of me, and their input helped make sure I was ready for the big moment,” said Lexi.
Aside from preparing for a top finish at CDC, Lexi served as one of four SCA student officers this past school year. This leadership experience allowed her to witness and be part of JAG’s purpose and impact on a national scale—one that she will always be proud of. Part of her role as an SCA officer has included trips to Washington D.C., to advocate for the futures of more than 10,000 iJAG students through networking with legislators, events with employer partners, and unique speaking opportunities. Lexi was instrumental in helping carry out a JAG national service initiative in Iowa, which was to help raise awareness for teen poverty and hunger. Part of her efforts will be conducted during a meal packaging event during the Skills Development Conference in May for iJAG students in grades 7-10. “The feeling of making a difference through my role with iJAG is indescribable,” Lexi said.
In just one month, Lexi will graduate and begin her path to becoming a content creator for a major league sports association. Lexi will attend the University of Iowa to study marketing and sports management—both of which are the result of experiences she gained through iJAG. “When I had the opportunity to participate in DesignDash at the University of Iowa and the Class Intercom ITEC Social Media Sweepstakes, that helped solidify my passion for sports, business, and content creation. Now, I have confidence in my future plans and know exactly what I want to do.”
Thank you for your service and advocacy for iJAG, Lexi. You’re always our kid, no matter what!