Photos Taken Before COVID

It’s been quite a journey for 32-year-old Las Vegas native Reyvauwn Andrews, a Sierra Nevada Job Corps alumnus and military veteran, who has gone from foster care to Job Corps to the Army…and finally into the medical field.

For Reyvauwn, life was difficult before Job Corps.

“My parents weren’t getting clean. Things got messy, so the state stepped in and put me in foster care. They took good care of me.”

Then, he heard about Job Corps.

“My case worker told me about one of her daughters who attended Sierra Nevada Job Corps and said she found her calling there. So, I signed up right out of foster care. And you know what, it took a while, but I found my calling, too.  My situation improved by leaps and bounds. Job Corps played a giant role in my life.” 

Rayvauwn graduated from Sierra Nevada Job Corps in 2012 and eventually went into the military. He picked 11 Bravo, the infantry, as his first military occupation specialty.

“The infantry, man, that was a doozy. You train for combat. I was in the best shape of my life at the end of my first three-year contract. For my second contract, I opted for 13 Whiskey, as an indirect rocket crewman in the field artillery. Everyone else in my crew was 18 or 19. I was a little older by then, so I had to learn how to take orders from men far younger than me, which was a learning experience in itself.  In the Army, you get to serve your country and travel around the world. My duty station was in South Korea, which I loved.”

Rayvauwn then transitioned to the medical field.

“My girlfriend,” he says, “gave me a gentle push into healthcare. She’s a nurse, making $60 an hour. The medical field is always going to expand, and I want to be a part of it.  So, I’m at Pima Medical Institute in Las Vegas, first for my MAA [medical administrative assistant] certifications, followed by my externship, and then back for more schooling to study respiratory therapy, all paid for by Uncle Sam. I’m going to be a respiratory assistant.  I’m actually thinking of going back into the army when I’m done with all the schooling and put my training to good use.” 

Center Medical Wellness staff member Christina Schuening met Raywauwn when he called her to request his medical records.

“This young man is quite special. He has pulled himself up through his own initiative and with the help of some of the people here on center. From just talking with him, I can tell Reyvauwn’s going to be successful in life.”

Reyvauwn gives this advice to young people considering whether to join Job Corps.

“Really think about where you want to go in life.  An education at Job Corps gives you some freedom of choice. Choose your training for a job wisely, one that’s applicable all over the world…If you don’t know where you are going, Job Corps is the place to find out. I owe a lot to that school and everyone there.”