A personal event that occurred in high school left Tatiana Volbrecht suffering from PTSD and feeling limited in her options for her future. After graduating from high school, she attended classes at Navarro College but found it was not the best fit for her.
Tatiana became a day care teacher after leaving college because she always had a dream of helping and caring for people. She felt she was called to do more and began looking into ways to further her education. She remembered that a cousin of hers had previously enrolled in the Job Corps program, so she took a chance and applied. After waiting 4 months for a slot to open up for her at the Clearfield Job Corps Center, she arrived on campus ready to get to work toward her Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) credentials.
The support that Tatiana found on the Clearfield campus changed her life forever. Her counselor, Tasha, consistently went out of her way to make sure Tatiana was comfortable on campus even though her PTSD often made it difficult for her. Tasha was a constant support for Tatiana, even when her CNA classes became virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic and she was no longer living on campus. Tasha regularly called and texted Tatiana and made a point to make sure she was doing well, not only in her studies, but also mentally during the difficult times in the early days of the pandemic.
Even the Clearfield chef was a huge help to Tatiana during her time on campus. “When I arrived to campus, I was overweight,” she said. “The chef at Clearfield was always accommodating to students with allergies or other needs, and he actually helped me with my nutrition. We talked about my weight concerns, and he was always open to working with me and giving me advice. It is support like that that made my experience at Job Corps so great.”
Mr. Neil Simmons, one of Tatiana’s instructors on campus, had a profound impact on her. “Mr. Simmons loves what he does,” she said. “He loves his students, and he wants to grow and learn with them. Having a teacher like that can make a bigger difference than you realize. Even during virtual learning, he was very hands-on, and it never felt like he just disappeared after class.”
Tatiana graduated from the Clearfield Job Corps Center’s Certified Nursing Assistant program in August of 2020 with plans to secure full-time employment. However, after graduation she received a call from the center’s Advanced Training coordinator and was asked if she would be interested in the Advanced Emergency Management program beginning in the fall. Seeing this as an opportunity to advance her career, she jumped at the chance to enroll. Tatiana was one of only five students offered a position in the program.
Tatiana graduated in March of 2021 with a 0865 Site Inspection Course Certificate and OSHA 30 credentials that helped her gain employment as a disaster survivor assistant specialist with FEMA. Tatiana will be working at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic and ensuring the safety of the community she will be stationed in.
Even though the challenges brought on by PTSD made it hard for Tatiana to leave home, pursue something new, and meet new people, she ultimately found where she was supposed to be.
“To work for an organization like FEMA—well for me, that is a dream job,” Tatiana said. “I am grateful to Job Corps and everyone on campus who helped me get to this point. I could not have done it without them. Job Corps will challenge you, but it will change your life like you never imagined.”
Graduated from Job Corps in: 2021 Employer: FEMA Hometown: Palmer, Texas Phone: 972-921-5837 Email: wwwect72@gmail.com Submitted by: Center Submission