Flint’s Danielle Baldwin Takes Top Honor in Speech Competition

The U.S. Department of Labor hosted the 2010 Job Corps Oratory Competition in Washington, D.C. on November 19th, and Flint's Danielle Baldwin took home the top honor. 

The four finalists presenting speeches were Milton Calvin from the Joliet Job Corps Center in Illinois, Maela Way from the Los Angeles Job Corps Center in California; Danielle Baldwin from Flint/Genesee Job Corps Center in Michigan and Bradley Esco from the Whitney M. Young Jr. Job Corps Center in Kentucky.   Danielle Baldwin of the Flint/Genesee Job Corps in Michigan finished first in the competition and received a $1,500 award toward education and training.  Bradley Esco of the Whitney M. Young Jr. Job Corps in Simpsonville, Ky., won second place and a $1,000 award.  Maela Way from the Los Angeles Job Corps, Calif., and Milton Calvin from the Joliet Job Corps in Illinois each received a $750 award.

“Job Corps is about turning tremendous potential into tremendous success,” said Secretary Solis. “These young people are living proof of the high caliber of both character and intellect fostered by Job Corp programs across the nation.  I am very proud of the accomplishments of these youngsters and I look forward to their continued success.

The finalists were selected from across the nation after an opening round of video submissions were collected and judged by the department’s Employment and Training Administration’s Job Corps, Job Corps contractors and congressional staff.  The speeches were evaluated based on delivery, content, structure and impact.  Finalists were then invited to Washington to present their speeches in the finals before a distinguished panel of judges from the Departments of Labor and Agriculture.