Toni at Gateway Community and Technical College Gateway Health Profession Opportunity Project

Toni was a single mom in her early thirties who had been living and working in Atlanta as a successful hair stylist. Her recent divorce had rattled her life, and she knew it was time to take a new direction in order to be self-sufficient. Toni was lucky to have supportive parents who agreed to help her. Her parents agreed to provide childcare, a safe home in Northern Kentucky, and food on the table if she could get herself through school. She signed up at Gateway Community and Technical College to take the Nurse Assistant program in the spring of 2012.

Luckily Toni qualified for the HPOG program to assist her in her classes. She received tuition assistance, a textbook, and one-on-one help in Nurse Assistant skills performance, and HPOG paid for her state Nurse Assistant exam. HPOG staff were there to support her throughout the course as she was taking the first step toward pursuing her Registered Nurse degree. Toni took the assistance and added her own hard work and perseverance to achieve the highest grade in her class and pass the state test.

In July of 2012, the career and placement staff hosted a Nurse Aid job fair and invited several agencies to participate. Employers were invited to set up tables with recruitment and hiring materials. Work space was available for students to fill out job applications, and classroom space was also available for on-the-spot interviews. Senior Helpers of Northern Kentucky (NKY) interviewed Toni that day on campus, and by the following weekend, Toni had been offered a job and was shadowing another employee as part of her training.

Toni recently stopped by the HPOG program office to share that she loves her job! She likes her co-workers, her supervisors, and her clients and their families. The job is providing supplemental income to help her feel more self-sufficient, and she is able to continue with her schooling to become a Registered Nurse.

Senior Helpers NKY was excited to participate in an event that provided a quality applicant on the spot. The agency is incredibly pleased with Toni’s work ethic and clinical skills. She hit the ground running and has made a significant difference in the lives of her clients and their families. Senior Helpers NKY will continue to communicate with HPOG for employee referrals, attend career events, and be part of Gateway’s HPOG Employer Board.