Nina Cressey is proving true the old adage that great things do indeed come in small packages. While standing a diminutive 4 feet 9 inches tall, she has been making some big things happen lately.
Since arriving at New Orleans Job Corps Center, she has achieved three certifications including Medical Office Support, a high school diploma, a CPR card, a driver’s license, an internship at New Orleans East Hospital and a recent TV guest appearance.
As the Center’s student ambassador during the program’s recent 50th anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C., Nina had the opportunity to meet with some of Capitol Hill’s top leaders including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and U.S. Congressman Cedric Richmond-experiences she says she will treasure forever.
“Congressman Richmond made me feel very comfortable and at home,” says Nina. “We talked about my career and my future and he encouraged me and inspired me to continue my education. He was so humble and so enthusiastic about meeting me. That made me feel great because I was so happy about meeting him.”
Nina said visiting Washington was exhilarating and the city’s diversity reminded her of her hometown- New Orleans. “A lot of people who live there are not from there. It’s filled with people from different backgrounds and cultures and it’s a learning experience talking to them. There’s so much history in the city.”
She said traveling to the nation’s capital with New Orleans Job Corps made the experience even more fulfilling. “It felt like I got an insider’s view of the city. I got a chance to sit inside the U.S. Senate Gallery. I got a chance to meet with my congressional representatives and to visit the Capitol Rotunda and to visit the Lincoln Room.”
In a trip filled with inspirational experiences, Nina says visiting the Martin Luther King monument was a standout moment.
“I was so excited about seeing the MLK monument. Martin Luther King made history and now I’m making my own history,” says Nina. “Who says you cannot do something because you’re young or you come from another culture. You can do anything you put your mind to. Nothing beats a failure but to overcome it. Before coming to Job Corps, I was a follower. Job Corps has turned me into a leader.”