Statesboro students praise Youth Connect internships as employers, city staff highlight real‑world benefits

Students and host organizations described concrete workplace gains and community benefits at a Statesboro City Youth Connect presentation. Participants said the summer placements taught punctuality, communication, time management and confidence; city and private employers praised the interns’ contributions and encouraged more organizations to participate.

Youth who spoke said the program gave them hands‑on experience in public safety, health care, parks and recreation, municipal engineering and classroom settings. Jameson Hughes, a Statesboro High graduate placed at Bullet Solutions, said Youth Connect "helped me grow in leadership, communication and flexibility," and credited the placement with teaching him to "lead myself first." Several students said mentorship from specific staff — for example, Cameron Wright cited "Miss Leticia" — pushed them beyond comfort zones and helped with real tasks.

Host supervisors said the value was mutual. Barbara Brown, billing manager at Statesboro Urgent Care, said the clinic had two Statesboro High students this summer and "can't say enough" about their punctuality, conscientiousness and attitude. Cory Kemp, director of emergency management for Bullet County, credited intern Mason Hughes with creating a full emergency exercise and noted Mason's strong participation despite football commitments. Tasha Scavo, a lieutenant at the Bullet County Sheriff's Office, said interns filled needed roles and worked well with staff.

Employers described a range of duties given to interns: assisting medical staff, organizing central services equipment, conducting construction site observations for the engineering department, and supporting classroom assistants. Students described specific skills learned: time management when serving customers, attention and situational awareness in law enforcement placements, and lesson planning and behavior management in education roles.

Organizational leaders urged more community involvement. Carrie Benz, sales and marketing coordinator at Bul Solutions, said the company has hosted multiple Youth Connect participants over several years and called the program "a two‑way street" that benefits both youth and businesses. Tama Shannon, coordinator for Keep Statesboro Bulock Beautiful (a nonprofit division housed in public works), said the initiative gives youth chances to serve residents while allowing staff to mentor and refine leadership skills.

Program supporters and students framed Youth Connect as a pipeline for future careers: Zariah London, placed in planning and development, said the experience motivated her to study law to advocate for underrepresented people; others said the placements clarified career interests in health care, emergency management and education. Several students recommended the program to peers; Payton, who worked at Southern Chiropractic, advised prospective applicants that Youth Connect offers "future experience, making money, and we're ready."

The presentation concluded with a program motto and testimonial about civic engagement: a speaker said Youth Connect and Youth Council gave participants mentorship and real work experience that "empowered us to rise, to serve, and to shape the future of Statesboro and beyond." No formal actions or votes were recorded during the presentation. The event served as a showcase of student work, employer feedback and community partnership.