“Staying focused is key to reaching your goals,” said Shante Jones. “If you stay focused and remember why you started, Job Corps will help you create a better future.”
Becoming a mother at 14 resulted in a lot of hardships for Shante. She dropped out of high school but hoped to eventually earn her diploma, despite struggling in math and failing the math portion of the exam several times. Shante began to lose hope that she could move forward in her education.
She started working as a crew leader at Hardee’s making minimum wage. Her favorite part of her job was sharing smiles and conversations with people in the drive-thru. While at Hardee’s, Shante had a lot of health care customers coming through who would say that her personality would be great in a health care environment. After learning about Job Corps from a friend and after meeting with a recruiter, Shante was ready to get started.
When deciding her training area, Shante thought back to the health care workers who had made such an impact on her. While at Blue Ridge Job Corps, she earned credentials as a Clinical Medical Assistant, Phlebotomy Technician, Patient Care Technician and Electrocardiogram Technician. She also completed an internship at Mountain States Medical Group.
Outside her training, Shante served as a member of the Student Government Association, mentored incoming Job Corps students, and volunteered at Feeding America and Adwolfe Fire Department.
After attempting her high school equivalency credential over and over again on center, Shante felt hopeless again. One day while cramming for her seventh attempt at the GED, she heard a knock on her door. Her mentee and friend Tanika gave her a big hug and told her it was all going to be OK.
“Tanika told me ‘you got this,’ and the next time I took the exam, I passed. She helped me at my weakest point in Job Corps. We still stay in touch to this day.”
Consistency, keeping a positive attitude and a moment of kindness from a fellow student helped Shante accomplish a lifelong struggle and achieve her goal of completing her high school education.
“Once I pushed through that obstacle that had kept me down for so long, I knew nothing could get in my way.”
Some other great challenges she faced were being away from her family and adjusting to the rules of Job Corps. She was incredibly thankful for Job Corps’ supporting her travel back to see loved ones for holidays and not restricting phone time on Facetime and see her daughter and family. Overall, Shante appreciated how balanced Job Corps felt with her education, training, work, social life and family time.
Even though it was difficult to get used to, the structure of living at Job Corps helped Shante become a more successful person and professional. Getting up early every morning, sharing cleaning responsibilities, making her bed, tidying her living space and getting to class on time taught her discipline and responsibility.
“Job Corps provides you with everything you could need, including a biweekly allowance, fully paid activities off-center and even prom!”
When she wasn’t training on campus, working or volunteering, Shante enjoyed recreation activities with her classmates, including ice skating, bowling and dances.
“After dropping out of high school, I didn’t think I would go to prom. From training to finishing school, to going to prom, Job Corps was a second chance.”
In August 2012, Shante graduated with her high school diploma and Clinical Medical Assistant, Phlebotomy Technician, Patient Care Technician and Electrocardiogram Technician credentials.
Since graduating from Job Corps, Shante has gained a tremendous amount of experience in her field. She has worked for Sentara Medical Group, a primary pediatric medical office, as a medical assistant and for a private rehabilitation doctor as lead phlebotomist. She’s currently employed as a full-time, lead phlebotomy technician at Laboratory Corporation of America.
Shante plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in lactation consultancy or become a lab technician in the future. She knows, no matter what, her passion is to help people.
She is thankful to her instructors and mentors for helping her through every obstacle and always looking out for her best interests.
“I thank them for everything from the bottom of my heart for how they’ve changed my life for good.”
Graduated from Job Corps in: September 2012 Employer: Lead Phlebotomy Technician, Labcorp Hometown: Fredericksburg, Virginia Phone: 540-623-1261 Email: shante030811@gmail.com Submitted by: Lydia Henry Notes:
Source: Center newsletter, Jordan Loupe