TALLAHASSEE, Fl. (WTXL) -- Tallahassee high school students are using the Tallahassee Future Leaders Academy to help assist them and open new doors to their future. The program is now in its second year, and this Summer, dozens of teenagers were given the opportunity to perform jobs in both public government and the private sector.
"It's an opportunity to gain skill [...] but also the opportunity to grow inter-personally and hopefully be able to make better choices for themselves as they consider what their futures will look like," said Mayor Andrew Gillum.
As a part of the curriculum, the students spent the day doing a variety of tasks at Tallahassee Community College, including working to get a national certification from the National Retail Federation in Customer Service and Sales. Plus, they heard from Gillum about what the future holds for them. They say it will all help them take the next step after high school.
"I've learned quite a lot", said Jasmine Jones, a senior at Leon High School, "I learned about myself for character development. I've learned a lot about work experience because this was my first job ever."
"It has given me a great opportunity to start working at an early age," said Roman Parker, a senior at Godby High School.
Whether it be in human resources, communications, or at a local restaurant, the taste of the real world while still in high school is something the teens at TFLA won't soon forget.
"I know a lot of people my age, we really don't know what we necessarily want to do in the world, so I think a program like this, especially at a young age in high school will definitely help us narrow those choices," said Jones.
