JB 42: Moving On, JB 43: Moving In

Today is a happy yet sad day as we say “Congratulations” to Nathan and Tom on their JB Graduation. They have been super flexible with everything that changed when Covid-19 popped up their third week of class, and they have killed it the whole time! They both move on with the five certificates in Management, Supervision, Nutrition, Controlling Foodservice Costs, and ServSafe. And now here is Sonja with her farewell:
“Here we are, the end of my time with JB 42. They truly made me love being an instructor. They made me better. Smart, attentive, hard working, creative, humble and they both have great attitudes. They were always on time, ready to work…. how I hate to see them leave. At the same time, I’m also excited for their futures, and hopeful that they take the tools we’ve given them to be successful to grow and rise in the world.”

So how do Nathan and Tom feel about their time at JB? Let’s find out! We’ll start with Nathan:
“Looking back over the past four months, I’m really glad I had the opportunity to come back to Just Bakery after an almost 5 year hiatus. After coming out of the prison system, with it’s structured, regimented environment, to a broader range of freedom of choice and a lot of time on my hands, Just Bakery helped give me some focus and really helped me decide my direction career-wise. The staff of Just Dane and the Just Bakery instructors have been super-supportive and helpful with so many things, I can’t say thank you enough to Carmella, Jaclyn, Zack, and Sonja, and everyone else.
Add in a Coronavirus shut-down and turning life upside down, JB adapted beautifully to the new circumstances and gave me something solid to depend on when everything else was up in the air. I’m kind of disappointed that the program is over “so soon” now, but I’m really grateful for all the new tools that I’ve been given, both for life and my career path, and I’m pleased with myself for sticking with it until the end. Thank you Just Bakery for all you do!”

And Tom:
“Well, here we are, the last day in the Just Bakery program. This class was a remarkable experience. Because of the pandemic going on, we had to modify the classroom and kitchen time. But with all of that going on, I still had a very eventful and great time. I have had the best learning experiences in the class and kitchen topics, and in myself. With these experiences, I have gained trust and self-confidence. The evidence of this was present in my final project: I made this awesome Onion Pie with Rosemary Parmesan cracker crust, and it was so good that even people who didn’t like onions liked it! I am proud of myself for being able to take a family recipe and make it my own, and did not have to worry about anybody else’s opinion but my own. I feel so proud!”

Check back next week to see how JB 43 transitions into the kitchen! Here is JB 43 to briefly tell you there experience this first month- I asked them to report in on good/bad and accomplishments/challenges!
Bee:
“Good-Gaining knowledge and improving the qualifications for my resume while building a valuable network of support. Having more access to instructors and support team resources with everything virtual (Jaclyn, Zack, Carmella, Peer support specialist, Anesis, etc).

Bad- Lacking the uninterrupted one-on-one interactions between peers and instructors that are essential to a cohort environment.

Accomplishments- Getting certified in Hospitality and Restaurant Management (woot woot!!) And learning to speak up and getting better at reading out loud during class.

Challenges- Time management and balancing training opportunities with personal needs outside of class. And learning to take training one step (and sometimes one day) at a time to avoid overwhelm. ”

Jazmine:
“I am really enjoying this experience. I have met some great people and learned so much so far. The instructors are amazing and help until you “get it”! Nutrition is hard for me, but my instructor (Jaclyn) has helped not only learn but build my self confidence in learning. Such an amazing experience and program all around!”