Congressman Mike Rogers, along with Sherri Rollins from his Anniston Office, paid a visit to the Cherokee County Career & Tech Center last Friday (October 19th), to speak with Career Tech Center Principal Brett Keasler and the instructors about their JAG program, which has thrived at the school.
JAG Specialist, Amanda Lee:
Principal Keasler shared his thoughts on how the program has helped the students:
Also in attendance were District Six State Board of Education Member Cynthia McCarty and two Alabama State Department of Education members Mandy Nichols and Craig Collins, in addition to Cherokee County Superintendent of Education Mitchell Guice.
Ms. Nichols, currently the JAG State Manager, informed us that she was one of the first eight JAG specialists in the state of Alabama in 1996 – teaching JAG for two years prior to leaving for law school. Ms. Nichols practiced law for five years, and when the then-state manager was preparing to retire, she was approached about taking over the position. After thinking about it, she said she realized it presented her with an opportunity to return to something she truly loves, and it’s a program that she hopes to see grow:
With this program it’s a true “team effort” between the student and the school system – one that goes beyond the traditional graduation date, but instead continues into that sometimes frightening first step into the “real world” of being a grown up, after leaving high school.
She added that Governor Kay Ivey has become a strong advocate for the JAG program – and with her support the future looks a great deal brighter.
Cherokee County Career & Tech Center Jag Specialist Amanda Lee and Alabama Governor Kay Ivey
[On July 24th, 2018, Governor Kay Ivey hosted a reception for the dedicated Instructors of Jobs for Alabama’s Graduates (JAG) at the Governor’s Mansion in Montgomery. Cherokee County JAG Specialist, Amanda Lee, was able to attend the reception and speak with Governor Ivey. JAG engages students in those difficult circumstances and prevents them from dropping out of high school by equipping them with academic, professional, and leadership skills. Through our 360-degree approach, JAG has seen a 98.38% graduation success rate of students who were once destined for dropping out.]
At the end of his visit Congressman Rogers took a few moments in the classroom to address the students with some words of advice, stressing that you should never give up, and never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something, while pointing out that he had come from a “poor, rural background,” working while he was in high school, and putting himself through college – and closing with “If I can do it, you certainly can, too!”, which brought appreciative smiles from all the students.
Parents wanting to learn more about the JAG program can contact the Career & Tech Center at (256) 927-5351.
About Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers is a sixth generation East Alabamian. He is a conservative, a Christian, the father of three and married to his wife, Beth, for over 35 years.
Mike grew up in Calhoun County, Alabama, in the small mill village of Blue Mountain. His mother worked in the local textile mill and his father was a firefighter. Mike learned the values of family, hard work and sacrifice from his parents.
Since first elected in 2002, Mike has been known for his tireless advocacy for the people and interests of Alabama’s Third Congressional District. He currently serves on the Agriculture Committee (http://agriculture.house.gov/), the Armed Services Committee (http://armedservices.house.gov/) and the Homeland Security Committee (http://homeland.house.gov/), all vital to Alabama’s interests. Nationally, he has built a reputation as a recognized leader on key national security issues.
Advocate for a Strong National Defense, East Alabama’s Military Installations.
As a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, Mike was selected to serve as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. The Subcommittee deals with missile defense and nuclear weapons issues. These are vital issues important to America’s national security and Alabama’s economy, especially now as our nation faces nuclear and ballistic missile threats from North Korea and Iran. Mike is an ardent proponent of our nation’s missile defense system to protect the United States and our key allies like Israel, and is consistently at odds with the Obama Administration over its positions on defense policy.
East Alabama is home to the Anniston Army Depot (http://www.anad.army.mil/), Fort Benning (http://www.benning.army.mil/), and Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base (http://www.maxwell.af.mil/). To help advocate for these installations, Mike also serves on the Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee (http://armedservices.house.gov/index.cfm/readiness) which has jurisdiction over military readiness, maintenance and logistics. The Readiness Subcommittee oversees the largest account in the Department of Defense’s budget. From this position, Mike works tirelessly to ensure our warfighters have the very best equipment, which includes the hard work done at the Anniston Army Depot, known as the ‘Pit Crew of America’s Warfighters.’
Fighting for Family Farms and Alabama’s Agriculture Economy
Agriculture is the number one sector of Alabama’s economy with over $1 billion in exports a year. From small family farms to leading research institutions like Auburn University (http://www.auburn.edu/) and Tuskegee University (http://www.tuskegee.edu/), the Third Congressional District plays a key role in Alabama’s agriculture economy. Mike is well positioned as a senior member of the Agriculture Committee to play a key role in this year’s Farm Bill and help look out for what’s important to Alabama.
Working to Cut Wasteful Government Spending
Mike also serves on the Committee on Homeland Security. In his effort to streamline the Department, Mike has been critical of the Transportation Security Administration’s intrusive screening methods, wasteful spending and failure to adopt a more risk-based approach. Mike has made securing our borders a key part of the Committee’s agenda and works continuously to help improve FEMA’s disaster response. Ensuring rural first responders are treated fairly by Washington is one of Mike’s top priorities, as is his strong advocacy for the Center for Domestic Preparedness located in Anniston, Alabama.
Smaller, More Effective Government is Better
Mike’s service on these three Committees uniquely blends Alabama’s strengths into national priorities. He believes his work in Congress closely follows the old adage, “the government that governs best, governs least.” He continues to vote in favor of legislation that helps cut wasteful spending, balance the budget and reform the tax code in order to grow our economy and create jobs. Mike is a steadfast defender of the right to life and our Second Amendment rights.
Mike graduated from Saks High School and earned both his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Masters of Public Administration at Jacksonville State University (http://www.jsu.edu/). Later he graduated with honors from the Birmingham School of Law (http://www.bsol.com/). He was a practicing attorney and is a small business owner in Calhoun County.