FRANKLIN — Tennessee set a new record this year, and Vickie Anderson, executive director-treasurer for Tennessee WMU, couldn’t be more proud of this one.
When this year’s Christian Job Corps Scholarship/Award recipients were announced, the list included three Tennesseans, marking the first time the state has had a trio of recipients in the same year.
The recipients were:
• Lauren Assis, from Begin Anew in Nashville, received the CWJC Academic Scholarship from National WMU/WMU Foundation;
• Giselle Gonzalez-Rivera received the Sybil Bentley Dove Award from National WMU/WMU Foundation;
• Evelyn Tobias Robeiro received the Faye Dove Scholarship from National WMU/WMU Foundation and the TN WMU Wilson-Day Scholarship.
“We are proud of these scholarship recipients, and I can’t wait to see how their stories continue to unfold,” said Anderson. “These ladies represent many men and women whose lives are being impacted by this dynamic ministry. We are thankful for CJC site leaders, instructors, mentors, and volunteers who pour into the lives of participants and their families.”
Becky Sumrall, the CJC state coordinator for Tennessee, agreed with Anderson, saying:
“Without the support, encouragement and education provided free to these women by the ministry staff and volunteers through weekly classes, mentoring and Bible Study, they would not be attending college,” said Sumrall. “Christian Job Corp offers adult students and their children the opportunity to change their circumstances and their lives.
“All three students stated in their applications that they knew God led them to the ministry,” she added. “As they learned to pray and were prayed for by ministry staff and volunteers, they grew closer to God.”
In addition to the scholarship recipients, one of Tennessee’s Christian Women Job Corp sites also received a recent national grant: The SWC Transformation Place in Chattanooga received a CWJC Site Grant from National WMU/WMU Foundation.
The three scholarship recipients from Tennessee, like all of the recipients from across the nation, have unique stories.
Roberio
• Robeiro moved to the United States from Brazil and learned about Begin Anew through a friend. While working toward her high school diploma, she was nervous about how she would do on the tests, especially since English was not her first language. Fortunately for her, she was paired with a tutor at CWJC Nashville campus. Robeiro graduated in December 2022, and enrolled at MTSU in January 2023 in their Nursing Program.
• Gonzalez-Rivera came to Moving Forward in February 2022 with a desire to work in the medical field, but did not know where to start. Moving Forward helped her set goals, make connections and
Gonzalez-Rivera
provided a mentor to help her along the way. She graduated from Chattanooga State with her LPN and was a national honor roll student. She is now working on her RN.
• Assis is a Begin Anew graduate, and will use her CWJC Academic Scholarship to aid her as she studies business administration and management at Williamson College.
Sumrall said she is excited to see what the future holds for each of three young women.
“The financial need of these women was a strong motivational factor,” said Sumrall. “They were struggling and seeking a path to overcome the obstacles caused by poverty. Each was willing to commit to attending classes weekly to gain the education they needed to enroll in college. It was evident to the
Assis
scholarship committee that these students already showed dedication and commitment and would continue this while attending college.”
Christian Women’s and Men’s Job Corps are compassion ministries of WMU.
Through more than 100 sites across the U.S., CWJC/CMJC seeks to equip women and men for life and employment in a Christian context.
There are currently 15 Christian Job Corps sites in 13 locations across Tennessee. Each location includes programs that help students gain job and life skills that will enhance their lives and the lives of their families.
In their 2024 annual ministry reports, these sites reported 1,305 participants in their various programs, 115 graduates, four decisions for Christ, and 342 volunteers serving 16,995 volunteer hours.
Sumrall said she hopes Tennessee Baptists will continue to support the CJC — and these three recipients — in the years ahead by praying for each of them as they “balance working full time jobs while attending college.”
“Pray that each recipient will continue to grow closer to God each day,” Sumrall said.
Sumrall added that Tennessee Baptists can also support the ministry by volunteering for the Christian Job Corps or by providing financial support. Doing so, she said, will help ensure that “other women and men have these opportunities.” B&R — Note: If you want to volunteer at or start a CJC site in your area, contact bsumrallTNCJC@gmail.com.
