Life hasn’t always been easy for Leah, but you can always catch her saying, “ I have to at least try.” Leah was living paycheck to paycheck, so money was always tight, bills kept piling up, and it felt as if she was being buried. But the overwhelming feeling didn’t stop Leah. In fact, it inspired her to do more.
When Leah learned about our Highway Construction Skills Training (HCST) program, she saw a chance to learn something new. She believed that learning something different, anything really, would give her a better career path than she was on. “Even if things didn’t pan out, I could use the earned certificates to do something else,” said Leah. “Improving is an important part in life.” And HCST gave her hope for a better, successful future.
Leah connected with our HCST program coordinator, Lorie, and enrolled in our six-week, intensive construction class. She was excited to start but knew that she was going to have to put in work to make it through.
To support herself, Leah had to continue working full-time while in class. The in-person class was quite a ways from her job and sometimes conflicted with her work schedule. She also struggled with a learning disability that amplified her challenges.
Thankfully, she always had Lorie to guide her through to success. Leah arranged with Lorie to attend the class virtually. This made Leah miss out on the face-to-face connection that many of our graduates enjoy. But Leah was determined to uphold her commitment to the class and herself. Very little interrupted her focus on graduating. There were times she was tired, even exhausted, but she stayed the course.
In six-weeks, Leah graduated HCST. Within a few weeks, Leah began her road construction career as a flagger. She worked through an entire work season, battling through the rain and basking in the sunshine. She learned a lot her first season. So much so that she decided to switch gears and try something new again.
Today, Leah is working at a great company as a conductor and flagger. Though the hours are long, the work is really interesting, and she’s never bored. “As Leah explained to me when she gave me an update on her life, she would always say ‘I at least have to try’”, says HCST Coordinator Lorie. “I’d say that’s been Leah’s motto … ‘at least TRY!’”
Congratulations, Leah! We’re so proud of everything you’ve accomplished and can’t wait to see what you try next!
Want to try a new career path? Our Highway Construction Skills Training Program can set you up for a successful career in construction!
