Samantha B.
Age: 24
Hometown: Cleveland
Center: Cleveland
Region: Chicago
JC Dates: March 6, 2017 – December 7, 2017
Career Area: Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)
Employer: Centers for Dialysis Care
Position: Dialysis Technician

“I have never completed anything in my life, but my Medical Assistant Instructor, Angela Laureano pushed me and would not let me give up. She provided so much more than the medical assistant curriculum. Ms. Laureano taught me life and employability skills – like the importance of a good work ethic, and how to cook and grocery shop on a budget. She not only provided the skills to make me employable, but also the tools to help me be a responsible adult,” explained Samantha.

“Before enrolling in the Cleveland Job Corps, my life was going downhill fast,” described Samantha. “I knew I needed help to become employable or I would never get out of poverty and homelessness.” Not long after graduating from Willoughby South High School in Willoughby, Ohio, Samantha moved to Florida. She soon found herself having a hard time coping on her own. Needing to remedy her financial and living circumstances, she decided to come home. Looking for a way to launch her career, Samantha enrolled in the Job Corps program.

In just under a year, Samantha took on a leadership role in the Student Government Association (SGA) and completed the Medical Assistant program at the Cleveland Job Corps Center. She earned her Certified Electro Cardio Technician (CET), Certified Phlebotomist Technician (CPT), Certified Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA), and Serve Safe. She did such an exceptional job during her internship at the Centers for Dialysis Care that they offered her a job as a Dialysis Technician.

“Being able to say I completed the program has boosted my confidence, Job Corps changed my life in ways I didn’t expect,” stated Samantha. “The program taught me the skills to perform my job efficiently, turned me into a leader, as well as a responsible citizen and employee.”