“As someone who is transgender, I struggled in high school and wanted a way to get out of my town and start a new beginning. Moving to a new city ended up being a great experience, and I made so many friends. When I would leave for the weekends, I would have friends waiting for me to come back and help me with my suitcase. I had never had a community like that before.”
Sometimes you have to “try, try again,” and that is just what Laveah Acosta of Socorro, N.M., did. Knowing that traditional education was not the right fit for her, Laveah decided to drop out of high school and enroll in Albuquerque Job Corps in 2016. However, it wasn’t the right fit at the time, so she pursued a few other educational paths. After finding herself at a roadblock, she revisited the idea of Job Corps. In 2019, Laveah enrolled in Fred G. Acosta Job Corps.
“In just four months, I completed my high school diploma at Acosta. I was so proud.”
Laveah trained in Material Handling and Distribution Operations and fell in love with this line of work. She also found a supportive community.
Going to Job Corps during COVID-19 was not easy for Laveah. Like many other Job Corps students, she had to work hard to focus not only on her education but also on what was best for herself. Her friendships had become a huge part of her experience. Dealing with isolation was hard, but Laveah continued to tell herself that “in the long run, it will make me successful, and I am not going to give up the opportunity and make the mistake to drop out again.”
Laveah’s motivation took her across the finish line of basic training and into a new chapter of advanced training and greater opportunities.
Following her graduation from Fred G. Acosta, Laveah went to Los Angeles Job Corps to study in the Advanced Training Transportation Service Worker training area with the Transportation Communication Union (TCU). She quickly became a star student and participated in a work-based learning experience in the Job Corps receiving department. Her instructors, Maria Guirado and Carmen Estrada, often used her as an example for great work. Laveah also had many leadership roles on campus, including the Safety Committee, Health and Wellness Committee, student cadet, student ambassador and Student Government Association secretary.
Upon graduating, one of her favorite instructors noted how proud they were of Laveah and said, “You told me exactly what you wanted, and you never gave up.” Making others proud and knowing she was creating a better future for herself are what kept Laveah going, even on the toughest days. 
Laveah graduated from advanced training and was able to save $6,000. Laveah now works for the LA Metro Department as a lead special event assistant under the Revenue Collection department. Her day-to-day role includes directing event traffic, supporting bus schedules, gate support and helping to ensure everything runs smoothly during large events, including the most recent Super Bowl, the Academy Awards, concerts and more.
Laveah appreciates the support and training she received at Job Corps. She has been with her partner she met at Job Corps for three years and counts the friends she met through the program as “some of the best people she has ever known.” Laveah built a strong group of friends and recalls going on trips and to a Beyoncé concert together as some of her best memories.
“All three Job Corps centers I went to were very different, so it is important to look at it from the big picture. Using the resources is the most important part and don’t forget—you are here to find a career, not just a job.”
Graduated from Job Corps in: January 2022 Employer: Lead Special Event Assistant at LA Metro Department Hometown: Socorro, New Mexico Phone: 619-586-4782 Email: LaveahAcosta@gmail.com Submitted by: Sellars Huy Notes:
Source: Center Submission