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Introducing Ja'Kori Cope Grice Connect's Statesboro Youth Connect Summer Intern

Ja'Kori Cope is a 15 year old rising sophomore at SHS and a summer intern with Grice Connect. He was selected to participate in the City of Statesboro's Youth Connect program. Over the next four weeks he will be writing a weekly story to share with you his experience at Grice Connect.
Ja’Kori Cope
Ja’Kori Cope

My Adventure with DeWayne and Grice Connect has been a very phenomenal experience if I say so the least.

I have been to many interesting places and met very interesting and important people that are a part of the Statesboro Community. I can say there was never a boring moment with Mr. DeWayne. Everyday there is a new adventure or what he says, “a new story to tell”. 

On my first day I jumped straight into his world of being a reporter, experiencing maybe the most intense and nerve racking meeting I have ever been a part of, but I enjoyed the opportunity to just be there and soak up all the information they discussed. 

But let me slow down here, I just jumped straight into the good stuff.

If you did not know, which most will not, I’m not famous or nothing, but my name is Ja’Kori Cope. I am 15 and a rising sophomore at SHS.  I am on the SHS football team and have dreams of being an engineer.  Over four weeks I will be under the Grices mentorship and guidance.

The program I am actually under is called Youth Connect where they take roughly 25-30 kids and look into some career choices they are interested or just wanna get to know a little more about.  Then they place them into jobs with the city or local businesses that are willing to take in these young teens and show them a little about the career field they are interested in.

They don’t just let anyone in though, teens go through a competitive process where interviews are conducted and selections are based on the result of these interviews. Luckily I was one of those selected few, and I am highly grateful for that.

I will use this opportunity to learn and use important life skills and event skills that will further help me along the way in life. 

Important people of our local community I have met my first week include: 

  • Billy Hickman, Georgia State Senator
  • Roy Thompson, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners
  • Anthony Simmons, Board of Commissioners (District 1 B)
  • Ray Mosley, Board of Commissioners (District 1 A)
  • Chad Wiggins, Synovus Market President and Chamber President
  • Delores Groomes Dickey, COO, Brinson, Williams and Groomes Insurance and DSDA President
  • Allen Muldrew, DSDA CEO
  • Curt Deal, Board of Commissioners (District 2A)

Overall my first week has been amazing, meeting new people everyday, and continuously learning the importance of networking and reaching out to people. I look forward to the following journeys to come.