Gerry Hartman recalls that she came to Mount Gilead High School (MGHS) to apply for the job opening of study hall monitor in 1999.

“Mrs. Clauss said there is a much better position for you here,” Hartman said. Then MGHS Principal Deb Clauss told her about the Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG) program and the need for a JOG specialist, before introducing her to the regional JOG director.

The JOG program was new to Hartman. She is a Mount Gilead High School graduate, was raising a family, and had worked as a manager for nine years at the Geyers store in Mount Gilead. Having working experience in a business in management was a qualifier for being a JOG specialist.

It was too late in the year to take the national training course for the JOG specialist position, and she was in the classroom for a year before she could take the course. She is appreciative of other JOG teachers in the district who showed her the ropes and shared ideas with her that first year. Hartman is especially grateful for the help of Ellie Donahue, the JOG specialist at Northmor High School who worked with her in the beginning and over the years.

Clauss called Hartman “a shining star.” She has students who participated in district, regional, state and in 2022, two of her students competed in the National Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Conference in Orlando, Florida.

In 2022, Hartman was recognized at the National JAG Conference as Outstanding JOG Specialist. The national press release notes she started with 15 students and in 2022 had 57 students in the program year-round.

Hartman listed the four pillars of the JOG program beginning with leadership development, career development, social awareness and combined civic awareness.

Students make a choice to be in the JOG program their freshman years and most continue all four years. Really getting to know students also makes the program a success.

In JOG classes, students practice skills in public speaking, how to develop resumes, filling out job applications, interviewing skills, and networking with colleges.

There is a lot of career research and 82 areas of competency from public speaking to how to balance a checkbook. She has had students from all backgrounds with some being high achievers academically to others who struggled with school and have blossomed in their work environment.

Hartman said it is important for kids to be connected with the school in some way, be it athletics, JOG, or some other activity or program. One thing she always emphasized to students is that they will run up against barriers in their life.

“I told them they need to learn how to deal with barriers in life,” Hartman said. “There is a way over. Will you go over, around or through?”

She said trust builds up through students’ four-year relationship with her and the class. She follows up with students after graduation and often shares their experience in work with current students.

There is a big change she saw with increased use of cellphones by students during and after the pandemic. They had always used cellphones, but it really accelerated after the pandemic. She added that kids are computer savvy and she often learned from them. She said they always had confidence in trying a new program and she encouraged them to go ahead with new things in computer programs.

MGHS graduate Hanna Hashman will be the new JOG specialist beginning next fall. Hartman is glad to see Hashman’s enthusiasm for the job and happy her replacement is a Mount Gilead graduate.

Gerry and her husband, Marvin ,have two sons. Evan and his family live in Westlake, Ohio, and Eli and his family live in Marion.

The Sentinel found Hartman on the farm making hay the week after school was dismissed. She said she has no specific plans for retirement. She plans to spend lots of time with her family.

Alberta Stojkovic is a correspondent for The Morrow County Sentinel. She can be reached at [email protected].