“We say all the time how we wish we were able to go back. Job Corps was a great experience. It gave me most of the skills that I needed to get to where I am now. It definitely gave me the feeling of independence.”
Aleah Hargrove left high school at 15 years old. Since she was the second oldest of eight siblings, she had a lot of responsibility assisting with the family daily household activities. Due to her responsibilities at home, she did not have a job. She heard about Job Corps from commercials on TV. She was intrigued but initially scared to enroll since it would mean leaving home for the first time. When Aleah turned 16 years old, she decided it was time to take the leap and apply.
Aleah enrolled at Edison Job Corps Center in New Jersey to study Business Technology in the Office Administration training area. While on center, Aleah joined student government and was a leader in planning center events for the entire student body.
Aleah made several friends on center, many she’s still close with. She even met her husband, with whom she now has two girls, 15 and 11 years old. Aleah’s mentors on center, Ms. Jackson and Ms. Ortiz, were a huge part of her success and kept Aleah focused. As part of her work-based learning, Aleah worked with them in the administration office and gained organizational and office administration skills.
“Go in with the expectation that things may not always go the way that you expected them to be, but choose the right path. Go in with your head straight.”
While on center, Aleah received her high school diploma. She passed everything the first time, except the math portion. Ms. Haines, Aleah’s math teacher, tutored her before and after class, to ensure she would pass. She was dedicated to Aleah’s success, and thanks to Ms. Haines, Aleah learned the necessary skills to succeed in her future career and completed her entire training in the same time it would have taken her to finish high school.
“I tell my kids all the time now, I wish that I had made different decisions. I wasn’t always the star student. If you’re coming for a GED, go ahead and do all that you can do because all of the resources are there to help you get that. If you are going in to get a trade, take advantage of it because, outside of Job Corps, you’re going to be paying back money.”
After completing her training at Job Corps, Aleah’s career counselor drove her to job interviews. Aleah was even considering the U.S. Navy, but she then found out she was pregnant. Aleah decided to take some time before joining the workforce. In the meantime, she convinced her younger sister to enroll at Edison Job Corps and to get her diploma as well.
When her daughter was 6 months old, Aleah started her very first job. She then decided to go back to school to continue her education at Star Technical Academy, where she studied multi-skill health care technician, which included EKG, patient care tech, and phlebotomy.
Aleah did an internship at her daughter’s pediatrician’s office that eventually led to a full-time position, where she worked for 8 years as a medical office assistant.
Aleah then moved to South Carolina and worked at Grand Strand Medical Center as a unit secretary and then at Horry County Department of Social Services as an administrative specialist. Aleah worked there for almost 4 years
. She now works at South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation, which was a lateral transfer from DSS since they are both state agencies. She is the administrative team support specialist. Aleah took the skills she learned at Job Corps, both interpersonal and technical, and applied them to further advance her career.
“When you know better, you do better. Because I have children, I just bought a house—I need a career, not just a job. I look for room for advancement. I want to increase my knowledge and value. I want to be able to move up.”
Aleah’s gained the necessary skills at Job Corps, such as how to multi-task, organization, time management, effective communication, and prioritization, that she uses every day in her career and in motherhood.
“Take advantage of the opportunities that are being set forth in front of you, and the sky’s the limit. Think big!”
Graduated from Job Corps in: 2003 Employer: Administrative Team Support Specialist, South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation, South Carolina Hometown: North New Jersey Phone: 843-742-8309 Email: aleahhargrove42@gmail.com Notes:
Source: Center Submission: Edison Center Director Julia Gibson