EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – Lauren Randolph, 19, standing 5 feet tall and weighing all of 100 pounds, with an elfish smile under her hard hat, said she joked about being a roofer during a class project at Excelsior Springs Job Corps. “We were doing shingles,” Randolph said. The laugh turned into an obsession to achieve. “I walked around for a month and was like, ‘I’m going to be a roofer.’ … I was saying it as a joke and then it turned into something to where, ‘I’m going to do this!’” Getting from the point of wanting to be a roofer to getting a roofing job ran into a wall. COVID-19 closed Job Corps, ending her hands-on classroom experience. Even so, as a senior, Randolph had built a solid foundation upon which to pursue her dream. Also, Job Corps let her know about a three-week class that could lead to a job through Roofers Union Local 20 working at Kansas City International Airport. With the class and her Job Corps certifications, Randolph sparked the interest of Flynn Midwest, which…