COLUMBIA, Mo. – Job Point hosted its Annual Awards Banquet on Tuesday, March 19th, honoring key community partners, employees and graduates from its various programs. The event was held at the Courtyard by Marriott, several hundred were in attendance. Following the completion of the awards program, guests raised over $15,000 to help support Job Point’s technology needs as it seeks to further enhance its programming.

During the program, Job Point honored its Employer, Partner, Volunteer and Employee of the Year before shifting gears to focus on the achievements of four individuals who used Job Point’s services in order to successfully gain employment in 2023.

Employer of the Year – HyVee on Grindstone

HyVee has been a long-time supporter of Job Point and the people they serve. They’ve hired several candidates over the past year, and continued their long-standing practice of opening their doors for job tryouts. Job Trials are a critical step for Job Point’s candidates as they determine their job goals. There are many tasks HyVee allows Job Point’s job candidates to try, where they can showcase their transferable skills, from safely gathering carts, stocking frozen foods, or facing shelves to online personal shopper. Sometimes the path from a job today, to the dream job in the future, looks different than someone might expect, and HyVee is a tremendous partner, helping these candidates find their path.

Paula Triebsch, store manager of HyVee on Grindstone, accepted the award on behalf of HyVee on Grindstone.

The businesses that collaborate with Job Point are many and varied, from referring students to guest speaking, and providing complimentary services to the same clientele and everything in between. In short, Job Point’s work is not possible without partnerships.

Partner of the Year – Columbia Senior Center

Although the Columbia Senior Center is rarely able to hire paid staff, they routinely allow Job Point candidates to perform job trials as volunteers, which uncovers their preferences and abilities for the world of work. In the kitchen, they are able to use commercial dishwashing equipment, learning how to properly wash and dry the dishes, just as in a full-scale restaurant. They allow candidates to check in customers as well as serve, buss and clean tables. After lunch, the candidate has the opportunity to try out custodial tasks. These opportunities allow Job Point’s clientele to experience first-hand the work involved in many of the jobs available in the marketplace and to prepare for successful, competitive employment.

Jan Palmer accepted the award on behalf of the Columbia Senior Center.

Volunteer of the Year – Mallory Henry

Mallory Henry was instrumental in the execution and success of Job Point’s Columbia Builds Youth initiative in partnership with Columbia Public Schools. Her efforts helped the staff to develop a pathway for high school aged youth to receive a diploma through the Missouri Options program. MO Options offers an alternative pathway for non-traditional learners to gain a diploma by completing the HISET and prerequisites from their home school. Through this initiative, the project graduated nearly 30 students who were not on a path to complete or had already disengaged from the traditional route to graduation. Her hard work and dedication helped to redirect the lives of many youth throughout Boone County. We thank her for remaining committed to the process through all of the unforeseen challenges and for being a true advocate for those looking for a safe place to learn and grow into productive citizens within our community.

Employee of the Year – Jerrell Morton

Jerrell Morton, YouthBuild Director, has established himself as a highly regarded leader in the YouthBuild arena, sitting on numerous national and statewide committees, and frequently asked by federal grant staff to provide guidance to other YouthBuild directors on best practices. He recently helped launch a formal coalition of Missouri YouthBuild programs. Jerrell could undoubtedly make more money working elsewhere, yet he chooses to drive back and forth from Kansas City to Columbia every day, because of his dedication to YouthBuild. His mantra is that we are family, and he walks the talk every day with his staff and students. Whether it’s personally visiting an employee who is ill, mentoring a new co-worker or calming down an upset student, Jerrell approaches all challenges using the philosophy of Love and Logic®. Although the YouthBuild program is Jerrell’s passion, he is a team player at Job Point, working collaboratively with the other program staff. In an effort to increase the impact of Job Point services, Jerrell has taken the initiative recently to establish formal partnerships with numerous entities including our local school districts. These projects allow students who are not slated to graduate from high school to earn their diploma by participating in Job Point programs and then walking at the school’s graduation ceremony with their peers. In addition, Jerrell has implemented a program at the Juvenile Justice Center so that residents can also work toward a high school equivalency and obtain career readiness skills. Even though these new initiatives don’t necessarily benefit the YouthBuild program, Jerrell does it for the good of Job Point and for the students who would otherwise be unserved. He is an invaluable leader for Job Point and for the youth in our community seeking a path to successful adulthood for themselves and for the benefit of those who rely upon them.

Jerrell Morton stepped forward to accept his award and shared this with the crowd, “This award is not about me, but about the way this whole team works together to help our students succeed. There is nothing that I do that is not because of what we do together. It truly takes a village and I am glad to be a part of this one.”

Awards of Excellence

The awards program continued with honoring graduates and job candidates from Job Point’s Employment Services, YouthBuild and Skills Training programs. Each honoree was nominated using the following criteria:

• Successfully employed for at least 90 days prior to nomination
• Positive reviews and feedback from employer during that period
• Demonstrated overcoming substantial obstacles to employment in their lives and finding sustained success

Honorable Mention:

Gina McGuire

Gina came to Job Point for assistance in her job search after a long career in retail. She was ready for a change and had her heart set on working at the University Hospital. She worked diligently with staff and was ecstatic when MU Health Care offered her a position. She is doing what she does best, connecting with people and making their day just a little brighter. Her supervisors are thrilled with her attitude and work ethic.

Ethan Taylor

Ethan was nearing high school graduation when he arrived at Job Point hoping to secure a job working with cars. He was thrilled to land a job at Walmart in Moberly in the automotive department. Working there has not been without challenges, but Ethan has displayed fierce determination, loyalty and dependability over the past year. Ethan has just started his career journey, but with his work ethic and eagerness to learn, he has so much potential for long-term success.

Award of Excellence Recipients: 

Sedrick Lewis

Sedrick has earned several certificates from Job over the years; having first graduated from Job Point’s YouthBuild program and Highway Heavy Construction Skills Training Course, before returning again in 2023 to get his CDL. After successfully obtaining his license, Sedrick was able to secure a job with Emery Sapp and Sons, where he continues to pursue his career goals. He says he enjoys his work and hopes to someday work his way up to foreman and superintendent.

Tyler Anderson

Tyler enrolled in Job Point’s YouthBuild program after moving to Columbia from Las Vegas, NV. He hoped to complete his high school equivalency before moving on to higher education, but knowing that his family needed his support – he leveraged his degree to obtain a job at a local convenience store, where he has built a reputation as a reliable and diligent employee; helping him earn full time status and a raise. He currently works full-time on the overnight shift as he helps his family get back on their feet after a fire destroyed their home. As a young man, Tyler is only just getting started in his career, but he has high hopes for a bright future – that allows him to support himself and his family.

Support for the video program at the Awards Banquet was provided by Joe Machens Toyota and KOMU Channel 8 News.