Elease Wiggins is a busy woman. She is a professor of sociology, psychology, and political science at Bergen Community College in Paramus, N.J., the author of “A Farewell to Welfare: 25 Strategies to Freedom, Independence and Prosperity,” and the owner of her own business, specializing in literacy and educational consulting. She is also a mother, a mentor, a personal trainer, a Ted Talk speaker, and a graduate of Job Corps.
A native of Brooklyn, Elease studied desktop publishing and web design at the Brooklyn Job Corps Center before pursuing Advanced Training in A+ and Microsoft certification at the Edison Job Corps Center in New Jersey. Upon completion of her Advanced Training, she accepted an internship with AT&T in San Francisco, staying at the Treasure Island Job Corps Center for the duration of her time there.
“Job Corps taught me so much and took me so many places,” Elease said. “Here I was a young African-American girl from New York, working for a technology company all the way in San Francisco. It was like a dream.”
Back in New York, Elease went on to complete three college degrees: an associate degree in business administration, and a bachelor’s degree in business management from Medgar Evers College, as well as a master’s degree in urban studies from Queen’s College.
Striving to create a better life for her two children, Elease began teaching at LaGuardia Community College and set about writing her book, which was to be required reading in her classroom. After self-publishing, and dealing with some difficult financial losses, Elease created a segmented and simplified version of her book, which she used to start a successful business, teaching interactive courses for adults, focused on literacy and self-sufficiency.
Elease credits much of her drive and success to her time at Job Corps, even saying she learned more useful skills there than in her college courses.
“Job Corps taught me how to be a self-starter, how to go out and get things without being told to,” Elease said. “It’s important for students to remember that the discipline at Job Corps is there to help you become better, not to hold you back. It will teach you personal responsibility.”
To future and current Job Corps students, Elease has one simple piece of advice: “Take advantage of every single opportunity granted to you. You never know what reward is waiting for you on the other side.”
Employer: Bergen Community College Hometown: Brooklyn