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Steady light rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low around 80F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..
Steady light rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low around 80F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
My Brother’s Workshop trainees received certificates of completion in several vocational training programs at a ceremony on Saturday at the St. Thomas Reformed Church.
My Brother’s Workshop trainees received certificates of completion in several vocational training programs at a ceremony on Saturday at the St. Thomas Reformed Church.
ST. THOMAS — Proud of their achievement and ready for the next step in their journey, 24 trainees in the My Brother’s Workshop (MBW) program received certificates in culinary arts, hospitality, carpentry, CNC machine shop, heavy equipment, marine and welding programs — with one also earning a high school diploma — following a ceremony on Saturday at the St. Thomas Reformed Church.
MBW is a nonprofit program that has been organized to provide hope, faith and purpose to at-risk and high-risk youth in the Virgin Islands by offering mentorship, counseling, career and technical training, education and job placement.
The graduates come from different backgrounds as well as different age groups, joining the program for many different reasons, but all working toward a better life for themselves and better job opportunities.
In addition to receiving Level 2 culinary arts and Level 4 hospitality certificates, 20-year-old Darneal Milliner received his high school diploma from a Penn Foster High School. MBW offers an online program with Penn Foster for students to earn their high school diploma. Milliner plans to attend college to study chemical engineering.
“I came into the program because I was battling with mental health issues for a very long time and they recommended that I come here to help grow and help battle them, to help me grow as a person and learn independence,” he said. “It helped me to make choices that will help better my life.”
Not everyone in the group are youth. There was a handful of older trainees looking to improve their lives. Lee Francis, 46, received his Level 3 carpentry certificate. A woman from the food stamp office suggested he look into the MBW program in order to acquire skills that he hopes will help him acquire a job in woodworking.
“No matter how old you are, they’re willing to take you up and you are learning something,” he said. “I plan to stay here (in the program) as long as possible.”
Ta’Quanda Audain recently graduated from the night school program at Charlotte Amalie High School as well as receiving her Level 3 certificates at MBW in culinary arts and hospitality. For her, the MBW program helped her develop culinary and customer service skills that will assist her in finding future employment.
“They helped me with everything, how to treat customers, how to serve pastries, cold drinks and hot coffees and bake,” she said.
In addition to certificates, three special awards were presented. Emmanuel Bertrand, who received a Level 4 culinary arts and a Level 3 hospitality certificate, was awarded the 2022 Achievement Award. Kielli Donaghue, who earned his Level 2 marine and Level 2 welding certificates as well as a heavy equipment program forklift certificate, was given the Love Thy Neighbor Award. The Outstanding Academic Performance Award went to Milliner.
Keynote speaker Arah Lockhart is former director of Workforce Development for the V.I. Department of Labor and chairperson of the Board for the Virgin Islands Board of Education. Lockhart met Scott Bradley, founder of MBW, 15 years ago when she was working at Labor. The idea and the vision for MBW sounded wonderful, she said, but she thought it was crazy to think he could actually pull it off.
“Education happens when you have a vision and you really are committed, so thank you so much for staying crazy but staying visionary,” she said to Bradley in her speech.
“There is no absolutely doubt in my mind, you all have been provided the necessary and requisite education and skills training which will be beneficial as you transition to the next phase of your life,” she said, addressing the graduates. “It is my belief and it is my prayer that you will all move into the world and do well, but more important, that you go into the world and do good.”