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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.

Brandi has a long-standing passion for medicine. The mother of two worked for many years as a registered medical assistant before making the decision to go back to school to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN). With few nursing school options near, Brandi and her family relocated to her hometown of Toledo, Ohio.

Once she settled back in Toledo, Brandi enrolled at Professional Skills Institute (PSI). One fateful day, Brandi ran into an old family friend who had graduated from PSI. They told Brandi about Zepf Center’s Northwest Ohio Pathway to Healthcare Careers (NOPHC) project funded by the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) program.

Morgan grew up in a small town called Canajoharie, NY. Her parents were always fighting, and eventually, they divorced when she was 7. Her mother left her with her dad. Morgan’s new stepmom proved to be a bully, leading Morgan to leave home at 16 to live with her 21-year-old boyfriend. They were together for a year until she left him because he was “controlling, lying, and cheating.” Shortly after, she found out she was pregnant and moved south to Schenectady.

Morgan was determined to make a life for her and her son. She worked as a bartender and took care of an elderly neighbor. As she remembers, after looking for a way to build a career, “…somehow I submitted an application to HPOG.” Then she got a call from Ashley, the Upstate Partnership for Healthcare Pathways (UPHP) HPOG program representative at Schenectady Community Action Program (SCAP). The enthusiasm in Ashley’s voice convinced Morgan to start the application process.

Since she was a little girl, Vanessa strived to be a successful woman. To her, success was measured in love for your job, positivity through failure, and finishing what is started. She knew her first step to finding a job she loved would be education. Vanessa decided to quit her job at a supermarket to return to school and earn her High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma.

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.

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.

Stacy is a single mother of three children, one of whom has special needs and requires additional attention. Stacy dropped out of high school, and although she received her GED, she was always underemployed. The jobs she found had low wages, no opportunity for advancement, and inflexible scheduling, which made it difficult to tend to her son’s needs. Her family relied on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to survive. Stacy always dreamed of pursuing a career in healthcare but couldn’t afford it.

In the spring of 2014, she saw a flyer for the HPOG-funded Work Attributes Toward Careers in Health (WATCH) Project and applied. Stacy had no idea how much it would change her family’s life. Stacy found success in the WATCH program and trained to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Once she finished training, she accepted a job paying $17 an hour. Stacy worked full time for two years before deciding to go back to school to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

Despite overwhelming circumstances, Amy did not give up.

Amy, a member of the Spirit Lake Tribe, was raised in a single-parent household with four older brothers. She and her siblings grew up in poverty. They lived on the reservation with a father who was an alcoholic and a mother who struggled to work and put food on their table.

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).

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.