A year ago, Lavinia was working seventy hours a week. She didn’t have anytime to spend with her daughter and wasn’t happy. She

knew things couldn’t continue the way they were,

but she didn’t have any idea how to change them.

She’d heard about Job Corps, but not a lot of

truth. “I thought you had to live on campus, for

one thing,” she says. When she found out she

could live off campus with her family, she applied

for the pharmacy tech program.

And now, nine months later, Lavinia stands on

the brink of a different future. Along with her certification

in the Office Administration program,

Lavinia is graduating with a whole new outlook

on life and on the people she shares it with. “A

year ago, I was lost. Confused. I wouldn’t say

I was a mean person, but I didn’t get along

with people either.”

“But the people at Job Corps never gave

up on me. Even after I switched over to Office

Administration, my pharmacy teacher

was still checking up on me, pushing me to

succeed. My life skills teacher became my

best friend. He always had faith in me.”

The ever-optimistic attitudes of her peers began to rub off, too.

“There was this one girl who became my role model. She was

always so upbeat and friendly and I saw how other people liked

to be around her. I wanted to be that kind of person, too. My fellow students have been

great examples of forgiveness and positive thinking. They showed me that you can’t let

one bad experience define you.”

And there was that little person at home, too. “My daughter is really the reason I

knew I had to do something with my life. I want everything for her and Job Corps has

made it possible for me to offer her that.”