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In 2016, Ray-Lynn was working as a medical aide at a nursing home and was enrolled in nursing school. She struggled financially, finding it hard to pay for childcare. She knew her chosen field of healthcare held opportunity, but she didn’t know how she could afford both. She found out about the Kansas Health Profession Opportunity Program (KHPOP) through her nursing school peers and decided to apply.
Sheyanna is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. She spent her childhood moving around North Dakota to live with various family members. Unfortunately, she was abused by the people who were supposed to be caring for her. When she was 15, Sheyanna suffered the loss of a child. Struggling, she moved to Belcourt, ND to live with her absentee mother.
While living with her mother, Sheyanna cared for her younger siblings. Sheyanna focused on school, realizing that it could take her somewhere. She was homeless in high school and needed assistance from low-income programs for food and other necessities. Sheyanna worked hard to keep her grades up, but with all the distractions of life, she almost did not graduate.
After high school graduation, Sheyanna enrolled at Turtle Mountain Community College, and applied for Health Education Access through Rural Training (HEART) Project, funded by HPOG. HEART provided support when she needed it the most. She was able to keep up with her studies anywhere using the Surface Pro HEART gave her to do her homework. Often it was in her car. Despite her hardship, Sheyanna found time to take part in Student Senate at Turtle Mountain and volunteer. She did all this while working as a CNA to support herself.
Kimberly was three credits away from graduating from high school when she found out she was pregnant. Feeling out of place, she made the tough decision to drop out. The next several years brought four more children. Eventually, Kimberly’s family of seven found themselves living with her mother-in-law.
Her mother told her that Kimberly’s younger sister was going to finish school. This spurred Kimberly to start a General Education Diploma (GED) program. Kimberly was working to earn her GED when she heard about the Pathways to Healthcare Professions (PHP) program from a Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board employee. As she progressed through the GED program, her self-confidence soared when she passed the math test. Kimberly’s newfound belief in herself and the PHP staff inspired her to enroll in the two-week certified nursing assistant (CNA) class hosted at the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board in Rapid City, SD.
Clarys was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. She immigrated to the United States in 1994, and in 2004, Clarys became a US citizen.
Clarys’ three children were her inspiration for her goals. She wanted a career that would allow her to be a role model and support them. She was passionate about helping others and wanted a meaningful and challenging avenue for emotional growth. These factors led her to pursue home health aide training.
In 2016, Clarys learned about the Montefiore Medical Center Health Profession Opportunity Grant Project. At the time, she was pursuing a home health aide training course at Allen Health Care. Clarys enthusiastically started the application process and was overjoyed when she was accepted into the HPOG program.
At the age of 35, Jenica was a working student supporting five children. She temped as a medical surgical technician, making $9.35 an hour while studying to fulfill her dream of becoming a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Her family received SNAP benefits, but Jenica knew she needed more support to achieve her goal of becoming self-sufficient.
While searching for assistance, Jenica learned of Project HOPE: Healthcare Occupations Preparation for Employment. While attending a Project HOPE information session, she learned they could provide her with the assistance she was seeking. She enrolled in Project HOPE on June 26, 2017. Jenica was so excited that she cried tears of joy.
Janie grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Houston, Texas. The trailer park she lived in was constantly filled with yelling, anger, and alcohol-fueled bouts of rage from her parents. Her parents never had steady employment, nor did they provide Janie with the basic necessities she needed as a child.
Janie learned about Volunteers of America Texas Health Professions Opportunity Grants (HPOG) at a recruitment event at a local community college. She listened carefully to the presentation about HPOG but was apprehensive about applying. She figured she had nothing to lose and applied in the fall of 2016.
Denisa is a single mother without a support network, vehicle, or home. She applied to the Alamo Colleges District Health Profession Opportunity Grants (ACD-HPOG) program in September 2019. Denisa completed her Medical Assistant (MA) training and passed the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant exam in April 2021.
Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Veasia could no longer afford to live in her neighborhood due to gentrification. She was serving in the US Army as a diesel mechanic and had just gone through a divorce. She moved to Albany, NY to serve as a caregiver for her sick grandmother. Shortly after the move, Veasia was scheduled to deploy to Iraq when she found out she was pregnant with triplets Veasia did not know how she would be able to raise three children without the help of her now ex-husband.
Feleisha needed a fresh start. After escaping a volatile relationship with her husband, she desperately wanted to carve out a better life for herself and her three children. She knew she needed to find stable employment to make ends meet but had no prior professional work experience. Thankfully, Community Action Project of Tulsa County, Inc.’s (CAP Tulsa) Health Profession Opportunity Grants program was there to help her.
As a single mother of two, Shawna relocated her family from Michigan to Washington state in 2017. With help from nearby relatives, Shawna moved in with her aunt in search of a fresh start in a new city.
Shawna visited the Renton Community Service Office to begin the process of transferring her Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from out of state. During the meeting with her TANF case manager, Shawna expressed her interest in dentistry and completing her high school degree. Shawna’s case manager knew the Health Workforce for the Future (HWF) program run by the Workforce Development Council of Seattle - King County would be a perfect fit for her. HWF supports progress toward economic self-sufficiency for low-income residents of the Seattle-King County area by offering tuition for healthcare training and support services.
