When KeKe Shelton rang the bell to signify her graduation, she did it with such enthusiasm that it fell off its stand.

After replacing it with no harm done, she shouted “I did it!” at the top of her lungs.

To the people who know the CNA student, none of this is surprising. Shelton is well-known around the campus of Whitney M. Young Job Corps for her upbeat nature and her constant positive attitude.

“No one really has time for negativity,” she said. “There’s no rain that lasts forever.”

As a student, she was older than most students – she was accepted initially 24, but had to wait due to COVID. She said the program interested her due to the scope of what it would teach – and she couldn’t beat the free price tag.

“You guys could help with a lot of things, like driver’s licenses,” she said. “It was a free place to go…free everything.”

Once she entered the program, she quickly became a student leader and served on SGA, made plenty of friends, found herself growing as a person in surprising ways.

Upon graduating, is already starting her career, and is on track to get the education required to pursue her final career goal – becoming a mental health tech.

“I went to a mental health hospital when I was fifteen,” she said. “The mental health techs there were so nice to me, I decided I wanted to become one.”

But even as she leaves, she carries her memories of Whitney with her – memories of a place that provided her much more than a free education.

“I had a ball here,” Shelton said. “You guys have this wonderful opportunity to advance, not just career-wise, but mindset, culture, everything.”