Resource Library

At the age of 18, Lindsay was living in a two-bedroom, section 8 apartment in Pittsburgh with her 4-year-old son. She became a single mom at the age of 14 and wanted a better life for her family. She struggled as a server in a restaurant, making only $2.83 per hour with tips. She took nursing prerequisite classes in the little spare time she had. She dreamed of becoming a nurse but struggled with childcare and transportation.

She learned about the Pathway to Success in Healthcare HPOG program through the Community College of Allegheny County's (CCAC) website. Lindsay stated, "I knew I wanted to be successful but didn't have many resources to do so until I found HPOG. HPOG has changed my life in many ways." HPOG allowed her to put her son in a great daycare while she was in school so she could focus and have more time to study. They also provided a team of people to help Lindsay through the tough times, including Dave, her support specialist.

Markeitah is an Inupiaq Alaska Native. She had a tough childhood. Her mother passed away when she was young, leaving her father to raise her and her siblings. At 16, she had to quickly grow up when she became pregnant with her daughter, Zaelynn.

Markeitah was determined to finish high school and go to college. She wanted to set a good example for her daughter. She enrolled in an alternative school for pregnant teens and eventually moved to New Jersey to finish her studies. Markeitah balanced being a mother, school, and work, and received her GED in 2017 at the age of 20.

College brought on tough decisions for Markeitah. She decided to leave Zaelynn with her family in New Jersey and left to pursue school in Alaska. Her grandmother and aunt spoke very highly of the Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) and told her about the CITC Health Profession Opportunity Program (HPOG) program, which led her to the Alaska Career College (ACC).

Siraylafa was working three jobs and still not making ends meet. She first enrolled in the VOAMI Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program in late 2017. She started nurse aide training and completed the classes in June 2018. Siraylafa revisited HPOG in late 2019 and enrolled in phlebotomy training which she completed in June 2020.

BreAnna is a single mother of four children. She reached out to Project H.E.L.P. in Spring of 2020, but had trouble finding a class that would fit her schedule. BreAnna started certified nursing assistant (CNA) training in February 2021 and returned to her classes that March after taking a break to handle some medical complications. She completed her training and found a job in April.

As a single father, Julio struggled for many years to provide for his children. He worked whatever jobs he could find, from cashier to cook to bike messenger, but wanted more. Julio received assistance from the New York Human Resources Administration. During a visit, he learned about the Allied Health Career Pipeline Program offered through Hostos Community College. They offer free healthcare training and career services to help eligible students obtain employment in the healthcare professions. Julio immediately registered for the program and began Certified Nursing Assistant training in January of 2020.

After Jodi’s life took a turn for the worst, she found her path to redemption through the Innovations in Creating Access to Careers in Healthcare (I-CATCH) program at Edmonds College.

This video highlights participant success stories. It is intended as a tool for grantees to raise awareness and therefore attract and recruit new participants into their programs.

The 2012 Compendium of Promising Practices captures some of the unique or innovative practices that grantees have identified as strategies that are important to their programs.

The 2013 Compendium of Promising Practices captures some of the unique or innovative practices that grantees have identified as strategies that are important to their programs.

Jenna Summerhill was selected to speak at the 2013 Health Professional Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Annual Grantee Meeting on November 6th. Jenna shared her personal struggles and explains the positive impact the HPOG program has had on her life.

For more information about HPOG, visit the HPOG website.