Aaliyah Bland
Age: 21
Hometown: Fort Lee, VA
Region: Philadelphia
Center: Blue Ridge
Dates enrolled: 9/5/2017- 3/15/2019
Training: CNA, CPR/First Aid, ServSafe

Aaliyah Bland came to Blue Ridge Job Corps from Fort Lee, VA, but she spent the majority of her childhood and adolescence in the state of Hawaii, where she graduated from James Campbell High School. She originally did not pursue any further education beyond her high school diploma, but she soon found herself wanting more out of life. “The primary reason that I starting looking into a program like Job Corps is because I was tired of sitting at home and doing nothing with my life,” Aaliyah stated. “I had been content to just let my life go by, but I knew that I had more potential than that.” Aaliyah was introduced to Job Corps through a childhood friend, and it sounded promising, so she decided to explore it further. She wanted to find a career where she could help others, had always heard positive things about the health care field, so she came to the conclusion that Blue Ridge was a the right center for her.
During her enrollment, Aaliyah worked toward a certification as a Nursing Assistant, as well as her certification in HIPAA, CPR/First Aid, and ServSafe. Aaliyah was also involved in a variety of community service activities while at Blue Ridge. She would like to thank the staff at Blue Ridge as well as her parents for being such a great support system.
Aaliyah is currently employed as a nursing assistant at Battlefield Park Healthcare Center in Petersburg, VA. She states that she would like to eventually further her education even more by enrolling in a program for Registered Nursing. Aaliyah had the following words of advice for her peers: “you can’t just sit around waiting for a hand out. If you want something, you have to work hard for it, and Job Corps can help you do that.”