Success Stories!

January 2013 update from CI!!!

Career Mentor Megan Mathe
Megan meets with 15 young adults every Wednesday at the Redlands Housing Authority. This month they completed their CNA certification and as a follow-up, Megan reports 6 new jobs and 4 work experience opportunities.

6 Jobs started in January as Certified Nursing Assistants:
Jackie Aguirre – Vista Cove
Jazmin Escobedo – Visiting Angels
Jazmynne Wheeler – Banning Healthcare
Ashley Cook – Working through an Agency
Abrion Tucker – Waterman Convalescent
Chardae Gant – In Home Health Support Service

                      4 Work Experience Opportunities at Waterman Convalescent         

        

Photo above left: Gil Botello, Contracts Analysis of Workforce Development Department of San Bernardino County, Johnathan Reyes, participant and Teresa Taylor, Career Institute CEO

Photo above right: Anavella Roman, Graduation Speaker

Photo on right: Abrion Tucker, Program Participant

1. Dijjonnaise Tilford
2. Jonathan Reyes
3. Anavella Roman
4. Ashley Cook

Career Mentor Jana Shearer

Carmen was referred to the Career Institute from the Chino Housing Authority. She had recently moved to California and was very shy and didn’t have much self-confidence. She enrolled in the Certified Nursing Assistant program, and her first training was in the Customer Service program where she attended every class. 

During the mentoring sessions, Jana began to see Carmen opening up to her classmates. Now, six short months later, Carmen has successfully obtained her Certified Nursing Assistant Certificate, her Home Health Aide Certificate, and her Customer Service Certificate. Carmen has decided to pursue a degree in the Nursing Field. She has a very bright future ahead!

Career Mentor Megan Mathe

Abrion Tucker has been in the workforce for several years, although not doing what she loves to do, nursing! Abrion went through a 2 month Certified Nursing Assistant program with the Career Institute and is now a California State Certified Nursing Assistant. Immediately after graduating she was employed with Waterman Convalescent Hospital. Abrion worked with Megan on her resume, cover letter and interview techniques prior to getting the job at Waterman.  Meeting weekly with her Career Mentor helped Abrion advance into a position that she now can feel great about and has put her on a career path to becoming a nurse.

Career Mentor Melissa Matteson

Jan Jancilin began working at the Viking Bookstore at Barstow Community College on January 2^nd to gain better customer service skills after being certified in the Customer Service program through the Career Institute.  Jan works 20 hours per week allowing him to continue working on his Associates degree full time.

The Negrete brothers, Mark, 19 and Tony 22, have always been close while growing up in Big Bear, California.  In the fall of 2011 they took on a giant challenge together – participating in the Baldy View ROP Auto Quick Serve course through Career Institute with master instructor George Root at the Ontario High School training facility.  The course began in mid-October and concluded in mid-December.  With the help of supportive parent drivers and the family car, they traveled 70 miles each way on winding, sometimes icy and treacherous roads from Big Bear in the San Bernardino Mountains to Ontario every Thursday and Saturday for 8 weeks!

Both young men returned to work for their third season in the ski rental shop at Snow Summit Resort at the beginning of November, too, and throughout the winter and spring earned certificates in two of the National Retail Federation’s 12-hour courses in Customer Service and Retail Sales, as well as completing and certifying in the Auto Quick Serve Course.

Both completed 100 hrs of paid work experience in Big Bear in the spring, too.  Tony jumped 3 levels in his math scores, and Marc 2 levels.

At the end of June, Mark and Tony headed for Sacramento where they will be attending Wyo-Tech’s Automotive Technology and Light Duty Diesel program for the next year. Congratulations all around, Negrete family!  You all have bright futures ahead.  Keep up the good work!

Regina Jackson
I met Regina after starting in October with the WIA youth group, right before my youth began working their Work Experience hours.  Regina and I spoke about career options, and she mentioned that what she really wanted to do when she was out of school was become a Vet Tech, and we talked about maybe getting her on somewhere.  We researched Veterinarian's in the area, and Regina placed some cold calls to see who would be interested in assisting her in her work experience. 

Joshua is now attending the local community college.  He wants to go into law enforcement or firefighting. He knows education is the key to his future and wants to provide for his future family.  He completed the Security Guard Certificate Program where he excelled and did very well. He is a very respectful, hard working young man. He completed all his life skill projects in a timely manner and is able to put to use what he has learned.  He told me that the Time Management project has helped him learn to manage his time wisely.

Joshua completed 100 hours of paid work experience at California Specialty Patrol in Rancho Cucamonga.  In work monitoring visits with his supervisor, he always received high marks.  As a result of his hard work, the Security Company hired him on full time. Joshua has told me on many occasions that without this program, it would have been much harder to achieve what he has thus far. I have no doubt that Joshua will be very successful in his future. Written by Mentor Jana Shearer

Kaitlyn McLeod

In the spring of 2011, Kaitlyn approached me at the high school where I presented our youth program. She said her dad had recently lost his job and was struggling on unemployment checks. She told me her grandmother was helping pay the bills and they had recently moved from their home into a small apartment. No mother has been involved in her life for over 10 years. She wanted to come into my Hospitality program but was afraid she would not qualify. I had her write a letter to WIA stating her plight and we submitted her application and waited for the outcome. She was accepted!!!  Kaitlyn worked very hard and was a great addition to the Hospitality class. She did her work experience in Banquets and decided that she wanted to be an Event Planner in her future. With the money she earned from work experience she enrolled at Cal Poly in the Event Planning class. Kaitlyn then received an offer to train at the Montclair Chamber of Commerce as an office assistant and also to help the Chamber plan their yearly Golf Tournament. She was excited to actually be getting some hands on experience! During the process she began attending the Montclair Chamber of Commerce breakfasts that are held monthly for the Chamber members. At one of the breakfasts she was approached by a Chamber member who owns a Macaroni Grill restaurant. He told her he wanted to hire her as a Hostess. Kaitlyn began the job the next day! She was excited about all the positive things she had discovered by being a Career Institute student! Continuing to attend Chamber breakfasts she was then offered the position of planning the breakfast menu's and serving the Chamber members. For this position Kaitlyn was given a chefs coat and cap. She continues to go to school for her future as an Event Planner and was promoted to a waitress position at Macaroni Grill. She also attends large banquets put on by the restaurant where she works. Way to go Kaitlyn!

David Diaz
Making Work Count

" I am very thankful that I was able to be a part of the Career Institute's summer youth program because I finally got to work and get experience. Now I am going through the process of getting hired at the Ontario Airport! I loved this experience- it taught me the meaning of hard work and when your job is done right, you will be rewarded. Thank you to my supervisors at ATS at the Ontario Airport. They were the first people to ever employ me. I have learned so much from physical labor (lots of lifting and organizing) and the value of keeping a timely schedule. Working also taught me the value of a dollar. I would like to thank my Career Mentor, Joe Taylor, for believing in me enough and helping me succeed in finding and keeping a job AND checking up on me to make sure I was doing well. These opportunities don't come around very often and its a savior for people like me who have never had the chance to gain work experience. I'm glad I was able to participate and hope the Career Institute has another program like this and maybe it will give another person the same encouragement and the happiness it gave me, Thank you! Thank you for helping my family and me in our time of need and trusting people enough to give a lot higher salary that minimum wage"

Mayra Gallardo
"I would like to thank my Career Mentor, Louanne White, for her support through the program and positive words of encouragement. She always brought a smile to my face and made my day to see her and when she monitored my work at reRubber. Thank you for matching my skills, my potential learning and personality with the employer- it worked great for both of us! I was hired full time at reRubber as an administrative assistant. My responsibilities include managing/keeping track of multiple tasks, prioritizing and small projects. I would like to thank the Career Institute for their support and having this kind of program to help youth gain work sills, counseling support and helping find a career path."

As the mother of a two year old, Andrea Blair has overcome many obstacles in her life.  Andrea has done an amazing job at not letting her past determine her future.  She successfully enrolled in the 2009 Summer Youth Employment Program and began working at Kohl's where she was later offered permanent employment. While working at Kohl's she showed up everyday on time, dressed appropriately and maintained a positive attitude toward other employees. In addition to completing 180 hours of Work Experience she successfully completed the Work Readiness material that helped her develop a professional resume and gain a set of “soft skills” that she applied everyday at work.

After completing the summer program, Andrea enrolled into the Career Institute’s year round program and has been a shinning star since day one. Before enrolling in the year round program, Andrea was already attending Chaffey College and working on her Office Management Certificate, and Administrative Assistant Certificate just to name a few.

Andrea met with her Career Mentor every week despite her busy schedule as a mom and full time student. In addition to completing her certificates at Chaffey College, Andrea has decided to sign up for the Customer Service Certificate course offered by the Career Institute.  Andrea values education and has recently post tested proficient in both reading and math.After hearing Andrea’s story and knowing of her struggles, she is the best example of someone who is self-motivated and working towards a great future for herself and her son. 

Cheyenne Rogers

Career Institute has given Cheyenne the opportunity to expand her experience in the counseling and youth advising field.  She is now prepared to take the next step in her life. Cheyenne is confident that the Psychology field is what she wants to study. She thanks Career Institute for giving her the opportunity to be a Youth Advocate and begin working in the field related to her career goals.

Monique was a participant in the Summer Youth Work Program for the 2009 summer. As she had her Pharmacy Tech License, the Career Institute placed her in a pharmacy job.  This employer was a new company starting out in the home health division. Monique set up the entire front office and helped set up the pharmacy lab where the prescriptions were filled. During the worksite monitoring visits, Monique always got superior marks from her employer. When the summer program ended, Monique was hired on by her employer.Monique is a pleasure to work with and the Career Institute staff has enjoyed working with her. She always has a smile on her face and is a very hard worker. We have no doubt that Monique will have a very successful future.

Nicole Gilbert
Motivation is a key component to anyone’s success. Having the right type of positive re-enforcement can change anyone’s life for the best.  For Nichole Gilbert, motivation came later in her life, but if it weren’t for her strong personality and determination to find opportunities, she probably could have had a different outcome.

At first glance, Nichole appears to be the typical All-American girl having graduated from High School and moved on to college. However, college was not always an accessible goal for her. Nichole had struggled with school to the point that she was turned over to a continuation school. This was very devastating for her since she always perceived continuation schools as a place for people that were going nowhere in life and this was their last grasp for a successful life. Nichole was wrong.  She quickly discovered that the only person limiting her success in life was herself.  Being placed at the continuation school was a wake-up call to redefine who she was going to be in life. Nichole reached out her hands for the first time and was surprised to find that someone was on the other end waiting to pull her up.  In no time, Nichole went from being a failing student to an honor student through the help of dedicated teachers and staff. She learned about the Career Institute in her senior year, and having learned the lesson about reaching out for opportunities, she was enrolled into the 2009 Summer Work Experience program.

The Career Institute offered Nichole the opportunity to nurture her passion for education and teaching by working for the High School. Through that experience, she was able to feel confident in challenging situations, learn how to work with other professionals, and finally overcome her fear of operating office equipment. This newfound confidence supported her in enrolling into Chaffey Community College and working towards an apprenticeship through their Child Development Center to earn her teacher permit. Taking all her experiences into consideration, Nichole Gilbert is an exemplary example of the success self-motivation, education, and opportunities can do for a young adult. 

Edgar Lopez
He’s soft-spoken, kind of shy, but lights up when someone broaches a subject he’s excited about.  Right now he’s excited about being the first in his family to attend college.
Edgar Lopez participated in the Career Institute summer program, working on landscape maintenance at a Sports Camp in Big Bear for the Parks and Recreation Dept.  While there he received highest reviews for performance, and was constantly being complemented for his hard work and positive attitude.  Edgar completed the Work Experience packet as well, receiving the $200 bonus and the surprise award, a mini laptop computer.  At summer’s end, Edgar enrolled in the Career Institute year round program to pursue his dream of becoming a Sheriff.  He had previously participated in the Sheriff Department’s Explorer program and very much desired to work towards law enforcement as a career.  Since no one in his family had attended college before, he wasn’t sure college was for him.  However, with some encouragement and direction from his Career Mentors, Edgar enrolled in his first law enforcement classes at Victor Valley College, where he is currently attending.  He is having a great experience so far, and is looking to receive his first certificate in that program this May.

Kyle Rose
Kyle Rose enrolled and participated in the 2009 Summer Youth Work Experience. He was hired to work in Lake Arrowhead at the Belgian Waffle Works restaurant and completed his 180 Work Experience hours with a glowing report from his employers.  Kyle was actually hired on after the program completed to continue his work there.

He was accepted into the Career Institute year round program in September of 2009.  Kyle has since completed his EMT certification from Crafton Hills College.  He is waiting to take his state certification test (which was postponed due to weather). He will then be pursuing a career with the fire department.

Kyle is a very motivated young man. He is polite, respectful and responds quickly when asked to do so.  He takes his life and goals seriously and does what he needs to do to accomplish his plans.  The Career Institute has no doubt that Kyle will have a very successful future.

Jose Carreno (in his own words)
My name is Jose Carreno. I am 20 years old and the oldest of six siblings in my family. My father wasn’t really there while we were growing up and my mother has been working nearly two jobs at a time to support our family. I enjoy spending time with my family, joking and playing around with my younger siblings. As much as I love them, they bring joy to my life and help me maintain a positive outlook on things. I am proud having graduated high school and currently attending college for contrary to belief most people would have expected me to be a failure.