On a bitterly cold morning this January, Brendan and Amare hopped into my Ford Explorer and we drove 30 miles to Grafton, Massachusetts.

Our destination: the Grafton Job Corps campus, one of 125 similar sites in all 50 states. These campuses provide housing, education, and vocational training to tens of thousands of young people aged 16-24 in need of support, guidance, and direction in their lives.

The program grew out of President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty and Great Society initiatives over 60 years ago — back when our federal government sought innovative solutions to problems plaguing our country.

Brendan is an optimistic New Hampshire native who pours all of himself into his career as a transition specialist, where he expertly helps young adults with disabilities forge a path after high school.

At the time, Amare was a 19-year-old “super-senior” taking a second crack at 12th grade, hoping to complete his graduation requirements and launch himself into early adulthood.

As Amare polished off a breakfast sandwich and........

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