Quinton was a student at Bethune Cookman College and on track to pursue a successful career, when the unexpected happened. His grandmother, who had been helping to support him through school, passed away. Devastated, he spiraled down a path of drugs, partying and crime with no direction and no reason to find a way out. After losing his job, apartment and car, he finally decided his life needed to change.
Quinton enrolled at the Jacksonville Job Corps Center, where he felt he had a second chance. While there, he completed his Electrical training and continued his education into the Advanced Training program for Overhead Lineman. When he wasn’t in class, he served as vice president of the Jacksonville center’s Student Government Association.
After graduating from Job Corps, Quinton began working with Florida Power & Light (FPL) as a field survey tech and was promoted to design specialist. During Hurricane Irma, he supervised 20–50 linemen as they worked tirelessly to help restore power to the affected area. In 2017, he was hired by the engineering firm Ferreira Power Group as a design specialist.
“Since the moment I walked into the doors of Job Corps, my life has never been the same. I learned the value of the program, discipline, and ownership of my behavior and my future.”
“Job Corps changed my life, and I have not looked back since leaving the program,” Quinton said. “Job Corps laid the foundation that has allowed me to use my skills and raise my income, but it’s not all about the money. It’s about becoming a real man and being able to provide a life for my children that I didn’t have.”
Quinton continues to work hard and looks back on his time at Job Corps fondly. He is continuing his career and looking forward to what the future has in store.
“Since the moment I walked into the doors of Job Corps, my life has never been the same,” Quinton said. “I learned the value of the program, discipline, and ownership of my behavior and my future.”