This Way ONward provides structured training and valuable work experience for people aged 16+, giving young people new life skills and confidence that supports their overall growth and employability. This summer, teens participated in an internship program at their local Old Navy stores and three were chosen for paid part-time positions.

"The Club gave me opportunities to showcase my leadership skills and have hands-on experience with workforce development. The Club believed in me. This took off a lot of pressure when it was time for me to take the next step toward my future career."

Jaden has been a Club member for 6 years. While attending the Club, he became interested in the karate classes that were offered on Fridays. In no time he became an assistant karate instructor, inspiring other Club members to follow in his footsteps. Jaden participates in the ROTC program at his high school, where he takes pride in following in his mother's footsteps. 

Always supportive and willing to help, he became a Junior Staff member in the summer of 2019. The next summer, he completed an internship at the University of Southern Mississippi. At the completion of his internship, he wrote a paper on previous work experience that prepared him for this opportunity, all  of which he credits to his time at the Boys & Girls Club. Jaden plans to be a Mechanical Engineer for NASCAR.

A funny and rambunctious child growing up, Colby enjoyed attending the Club to play sports and hang out with his friends. Then, as soon as he turned 15, he applied for his first job as a Junior Staff member. Colby had the opportunity to help inform teen programming, emcee the Youth of the Year luncheon, and be featured in a music video produced in the B.G.C.G.C. Blue Entertainment Music Production Studio!

The Club’s S.T.E.A.M. MakerSpace is where Colby helped hone his passions and sharpen his skills. In the Pass Christian Unit’s MakerSpace, sponsored by Mississippi Power, Colby was introduced to 3-D printing and CAD Design for the first time. This is where he discovered he could make his engineering ideas come to life by designing parts for his mechanical endeavors.

Colby graduated high school in May 2023 and went on to complete a summer internship with Club partner Mississippi Power before attending a lineman certification course at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (M.G.C.C.C.). Because of his training at the Club, Colby was no stranger to the CAD system when he was required to use it during his post-secondary training and education. He quickly rose to the top of his class and graduated in December 2023 before securing his first job as a full-time lineman at 18 years old.

From a young age, Tatiana C. knew she had a talent for singing and songwriting. A lifelong Club member, Tatiana found that the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast Studio Blue was a place where she could hone her skills and show off her talents. The Club supported her gift, helping to open doors for performance on stages locally and nationally.  

Most recently, Tatiana was featured on Tony Award winner and Broadway’s “Hamilton” star Leslie Odom Jr.’s new album. She co-wrote his song “Show Me” and was asked to join the song as a featured vocalist. The song has millions of streams and can be downloaded or streamed on Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora.  

When she is not in California recording, Tatiana is employed as a studio coordinator for BGCGC, where she enjoys sharing her love for music and teaching club kids how to write and record their own songs.