When Zachary Cota came to Springdale, he was homeless and working jobs he describes as “dead-end.” Feeling aimless and not sure how to achieve his goal of going to college, his mentor suggested he check out Job Corps. After looking in to what Job Corps offered, he contacted an Admissions Counselor in Bend, Oregon and started the application process. Zachary arrived at Springdale in April of 2015 ready to start the CNA program.

“I chose the CNA program because I want to help people and that seemed like the best means to an end,” he explains. He passed his CNA certification and started to look toward what the next step would be. “The Advanced Career Training (ACT) program was accepting applications and I knew I had to apply. Going to college was vital for my long term goals.”

Zachary was accepted in to the ACT program and started the fall of 2015 at Mount Hood Community College. “I’m working on my general education requirements right now. I’m applying to the mental health program in April.”

The mental health program at MHCC is exactly the direction Zachary wants to go. “I want to earn my Masters in Social Work. Ultimately I want to open a homeless shelter that provides wrap-around services,” he says. “I have been homeless. It means instability and not knowing if you’ll be able to get to work or if you can crash on a couch, how long you can do that. I want to provide a place where people can feel secure until they can get on their feet.”

Zachary had a plan when he entered Springdale. With his goals in mind, he has made choices that will help get him there. We are excited to be part of Zachary’s journey and look forward to celebrating his successes.