Job Point’s YouthBuild Sent a Student to the White House

braeden mccollum

Job Point’s YouthBuild recently sent a student to the White House to represent the Midwest as a delegate to Cultivating Possibilities: White House Youth Policy Summit 2024.

Braeden McCollum spent the first day of the trip focused on pre-event training, networking and preparation for the second day of the conference, which put McCollum and youth from across the country in contact with federal policymakers — representatives from the Departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Justice, Homeland Security, Education as well as members of the Biden Administration’s White House team.

Before joining Job Point’s YouthBuild program, McCollum had dropped out of high school, but now he has completed his High School Equivalency Test and obtained his diploma via the Missouri Options program. Additionally, he attained a carpentry certificate through Job Point’s Skills Training program.

Out of more than 3,000 youth applicants nationwide, McCollum was selected for this exceptional opportunity to voice his experiences and insights directly to federal policymakers.