Jennifer Hallmark
Age: 28
Hometown: Mountain City, TN
Region: Philadelphia
Center: Blue Ridge
Dates enrolled: 9/4/2012-2/11/14
Training: Certified Nursing Assistant, Billing & Coding, High School Diploma

Growing up, Jennifer Hallmark lived with my mother in Mountain City, TN, which she describes as “blink and you miss it.” At the age of 14, her mother was hospitalized, and Jennifer moved in with her older sister. She began home school during this time, but soon after, she dropped out to start working. She learned very quickly that in order to live the kind of life she wanted, most job required a high school diploma or GED. She began researching to find a program where she could complete her diploma, but she found much more than that. She applied to Job Corps, but was admittedly nervous about taking a chance in order to better her life. She had never been away from her hometown and her family, but she knew she had to do it for herself. She chose Blue Ridge because of the all-female dormitories, and the fact that she could earn medical certifications.
Jennifer says that stepping foot on the bus to come to Blue Ridge was the start of a brand new chapter in her life. She enrolled in Certified Nursing Assistant, and she initially didn’t know if it was the right path for her. Once she did her clinical rotation at Francis Marion Manor, and got a chance to work with real patients, she knew that being a CNA was her calling, and the perfect way to help others. In addition to earning her CNA, Jennifer also finished her high school diploma and was certified in Billing and Coding. She loved getting involved in the community through volunteerism, and she feels that Marion is like a second hometown now.
Upon graduating from Blue Ridge, Jennifer enrolled in AmeriCorps, where she participated in a year of community service work, stationed in Vinton, Iowa. Through this experience, Jennifer was able to expend her horizons even further, working with a team from various backgrounds, and completing projects across 6 states during this time. Jennifer now resides in Grand Junction, Michigan, with her husband and son. She works as a CNA/Medication Specialist at Bickford Senior Living. She is enrolled in classes for medical massage therapy and medical science. “Life gives you road blocks all the time, but it’s up to you to build a better path for yourself. Don’t let anyone or anything stand in your way to achieving a better you,” said Jennifer.