Kayla Boyett of Glennville has made an impact in several counties through her work at Job Training Unlimited since 2013. 

Kayla aids young adults in making the right decision to graduate from high school or obtain their GED and make the ultimate decision to continue their education at a technical college or university. She also helps those young adults who wish to join the workforce succeed in finding a job after graduating high school or obtaining their GED. 

“The reason I chose this profession is for the assistance that we can offer a young adult to graduate from high school and go off to a technical college/university,” Kayla said. 

The WorkSource Heart of Georgia Altamaha Workforce Development Area includes the counties of Appling, Bleckley, Candler, Dodge, Emanuel, Evans, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, Wilcox, and Wheeler.  Kayla serves five of these: Emanuel, Johnson, Treutlen, Montgomery, and Toombs.  

Job Training Unlimited helps with Job Searches, Résumé Preparation, Computer Access for Schoolwork, and more.  These services are offered free of charge at your local One-Stop.

The Evans County One-Stop, where Kayla is based, is located at 107 North Duval Street in Claxton. You can also reach the office via the toll-free number at: (800) 503-0204. 

Kayla is a 2005 graduate of Claxton High School. She has her Business Administrative Technology degree from Ogeechee Technical College. 

Kayla is the 35-year-old daughter of Bill and Janet Sullivan of Claxton. She has two siblings, Andrew Boyett of Claxton and Lauren Rabich of Savannah. 

Kayla is engaged to Michael Brannen of Glennville, owner of MB Tinting. Together, Kayla and Michael have a three-year-old son, Maddox Brannen, and a five-and-one-half-month-old Blue Heeler, Charlie. 

When she has free time, Kayla enjoys shopping with her mom and son, spending time with Michael in his shop, and spending time with family on special occasions. 

Kayla enjoys cooking and is often assisted by Michael’s father, Mickey Brannen, in the kitchen. Her mother, and her grandmother, the late Jessie DeLoach, taught her how to cook, a pastime she enjoys. 

“I enjoy cooking because I like to experience new ways of cooking things and being able to feed my family,” Kayla said. “My favorite memory in the kitchen has to be when my grandmother (Jessie) was first teaching me how to cook macaroni and cheese on the stove.”

Kayla Boyett’s Recipes

CHICKEN WILD RICE CASSEROLE WITH GREEN BEANS

3 to 4 cups diced, cooked chicken

1 (6-oz.) box Uncle Ben’s white and wild rice, cooked

1 10.75-oz.) can Cream of Celery soup

1 (4-oz.) jar chopped pimentos, drained

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup mayonnaise

1 (14.5-oz.) can French- style green beans, drained

1 8-oz.)   water chestnuts, drained

1/2 tsp. black pepper

salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease either a 7x11-inch or 9x13-inch casserole dish.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and add salt to taste.

Transfer to prepared baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, uncovered.

Sometimes I like to chop the water chestnuts up so they are in smaller pieces.

Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom Soup can be used instead of Cream of Celery.

For more flavor, try adding 1 teaspoon of curry powder or 1/2 teaspoon of paprika.

Fried onions make a great topping.

If your box of rice has a seasoning packet, use it.

BAKED PORK CHOPS

4 thick cut boneless pork chops (about 1” thick)

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1-1/2 tsp. seasoning salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. ground mustard

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. paprika 

1 Tbsp. oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a 9”x13” baking dish. You want a baking dish that won’t have a lot of extra room around the edges so that the juices don’t burn on the bottom of the pan. 

Combine brown sugar, seasoning salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, mustard, pepper, and paprika in a small bowl. 

Rub pork chops with oil and then coat well in seasoning on all sides. 

Place in prepared pan and bake for 13 to 15 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. (the internal temperature is more important than the time. Different ovens and different thicknesses will cook at different rates). They should be light golden and look very juicy!

Remove from the oven and serve. 

OREO DELIGHT

1 (14.3-oz.) pkg. regular Oreo cookies

6 Tbsp. butter, melted

2 (8-oz.) containers frozen whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip)

1 (8-oz.) block cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 (5.9-oz.) pkg. instant chocolate pudding

2-3/4 cups milk

Crush entire bag of Oreo cookies using a food processor (or take your frustrations and do it manually).

Reserve 1 cup of Oreo crumbs and set aside. Mix remaining crumbs with melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of 9”x13” pan to form a crust. 

Use a mixer to mix the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Fold in 1 container of the whipped topping. Spread the mixture on top of the crust. 

Use a whisk to mix the pudding mix and milk together. Allow it to thicken. 

Spread the pudding over the previous layer. Spread the other container of whipped topping on top. Top with reserved Oreo crumbs. Chill for at least four hours. Enjoy!