Putting Cleveland youth on a path to greatness

How community connections and hard work ignited a passion for public service

Kenneth Jordan, 19, is a freshman at John Carroll University and an alumnus of Youth Opportunities Unlimited’s in-school and internship programs at John Marshall School of Civic & Business Leadership. Through his Y.O.U. experiences, he's had the chance to work closely with Mayor Justin Bibb's office, meet President Joe Biden and much more.

Published on November 06, 2022 03:00 AM in Crain's Cleveland Business

Kenneth Jordan is the first person to be called on by his teachers and school peers. Why? Because at 19 years old, he is already committed to his purpose in life.

“I will be devoted to public service. I want to be somebody who's there,” Jordan said. “In this community I live in, that I will eventually serve in one day, I want people to know who I am by name, as someone who has their back, whether I’m in Washington, Columbus or city hall.”

Jordan, an alumnus of Youth Opportunities Unlimited’s in-school program at John Marshall School of Civic & Business Leadership, was connected to Y.O.U.’s career exploration internship by his instructor, who refers to him as “Mr. President.”

His mentors and teachers can speak to Jordan’s path to greatness. Y.O.U.’s internship program manager, Valerie, recalls, “His nickname is certainly fitting. Jordan’s political aspirations were the driving force in contacting Cleveland City Hall for internship placements.”

The Y.O.U. team secured a position for Jordan in the Government Affairs Department of Mayor Justin Bibb’s cabinet. His assignments included researching mental health and homicide rates as they pertain to public safety and health, as well as researching how Cleveland compares to other cities with young administrations. His position also dealt with government affairs issues.

“We're like the first boots on the ground,” Jordan said. “We receive city-wide complaints and we try to fix problems for citizens. I learned to be calm and effectively work with leaders in government.”

When President Biden visited Cleveland last July, Jordan worked to make sure he’d meet the President. That opportunity happened thanks to an invitation to Y.O.U. from the President’s advancement team to attend his visit with students.

“I already knew about the Biden visit because we work with the mayor’s legal team. I love the American presidents so much I hope to meet all former living presidents,” Jordan said. “The day before President Biden came, I emailed the White House on my lunch break, so I was excited when Valerie called and invited me to meet him.”

At the event, Jordan saw people taking Covid tests and going into a back room with the Secret Service. He told the staff he worked for City Hall and was invited to join union leaders to stand behind the President during his speech.

“I talked to President Biden, and he told me ‘keep going, man, keep going.’”

“It’s been my first gig, and that’s kind of a big deal,” he said. “This internship makes me want to go higher and higher.”

Jordan was awarded a full ride to John Carroll University. Other than dedicating himself to his courses, the freshman is already networking with administrative and student leadership at the university in preparation for a career in local politics.

As the largest youth workforce development organization in the Greater Cleveland area, Youth Opportunities Unlimited works with school- and community-based partners to put youth on a path to success for their future careers. All programs include job readiness training, career exploration activities, coaching and mentoring from a caring adult, and a paid work experience.