Lisaira DeLuna never let traditional gender roles define her. She grew up helping her dad work with trucks and racehorses, bull riding with her siblings and cousins, and wrestling on her high school team.
Lisaira and her brother, Abel, didn’t finish high school but soon realized they needed to take a more serious look at their futures. Her high school counselor told Lisaira about Job Corps’ free career training and that she could earn her high school diploma while enrolled. Both she and her brother decided to enroll at Wind River Job Corps Center.
While at Job Corps, Lisaira completed her high school education, graduated from the Heavy Construction Equipment Mechanic and Heavy Truck Driving programs, and passed the Commercial Driver’s License exam.
Lisaira was one of two students chosen to give a commencement speech at graduation. This honor was based on her success as a dual-training graduate. Her message to students, particularly young women in male-dominated training areas, was that “we can’t wait around for life to come to us. We have to go get it.”
This is not to say all was easy for Lisaira. She was frustrated learning to shift in the big tractors. Nerves got the best of her on her first attempt at the CDL exam and again during one of many job interviews, including the interview for the job she wanted most. As difficult as the interview was, she landed the job.
When asked what advice she has for new Job Corps students, Lisaira listed her top six tips:
Train at a young age so you have more time to build your future.- Get your life together sooner rather than later.
- Do it for you and do what makes you happy.
- Do as much as you can while at Job Corps. It’s a gift.
- Stand up for yourself and don’t think too much, just make it happen.
- And finally, if you’re going to fall, fall forward.
Graduated from Job Corps in: 2021 Employer: Diesel technician, FedEx Freight in Henderson, Colorado; $60,000/year Hometown: Colorado Submitted by: Lydia Henry Notes:
Source: Cathleen (Cathy) Cline, Business & Community Liaison, Work-Based Learning Specialist, Wind River Job Corps