When Christine Porter was 16 years old, she was homeless and scared for her future. She knew she needed “something greater” for her life. That’s what brought her to the Glenmont Job Corps Center in 1997. But what helped her stay, graduate, and go on to a successful career was a drive and passion to make the world a better place.
Christine studied in the Certified Medical Assistant training area at Glenmont, and says that many of the skills she learned at Job Corps prepared her for the working world. According to Christine, Job Corps helped her start “thinking globally rather than simply locally.”
“While at Job Corps,” she said, “I was introduced to a multicultural population of people, and this was quite different from the small town where I grew up. I matured because of Job Corps … I learned to handle things in a professional manner, as well as a mature manner.”
After working in medical assisting for several years, Christine decided to build upon that foundation and earned her nursing degree and a Master of Science degree in nursing. She even became a certified critical care nurse, and currently works as a neonatal intensive care nurse.
Christine aspires to pursue either a Ph.D. or a Post Master’s certificate in teaching, so she can help train future nurses one day.
When thinking about the role Job Corps played in her life, Christine said, “Job Corps gave me the tools to not simply be who I am today, but also the tools to change the world, one person at a time! I have delivered babies in Tanzania, studied in Austria, and held the hands of Holocaust survivors. I work in soup kitchens and volunteer in my community because I have the knowledge, the love and compassion, and I have the life experience to appreciate everyone’s journey because I too have journeyed.”
“I am grateful to Job Corps because, without it, I wouldn’t be me!”
Graduated from Job Corps in: 1998 Employer: Nemours Children's Hospital