Not able to afford college, Chandalita was looking online for opportunities to enhance her life. That’s when she learned about the AMP program, designed to help out-of-school young adults enter a career pathway and attain long-term self-sufficiency.
Once enrolled in the program, Chandalita was matched with a Goodwill career coach, Tierrany, and learned about Goodwill’s free State-Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA) classes.
After completing her STNA certification, Chandalita obtained part-time employment at Mount Carmel as a multi-skilled technician. In addition to working, Chandalita is attending school full time at Columbus School of Practical Nursing to earn her LPN license – free through the AMP program. Chandalita is also in the process of writing her second book!
Her first book, entitled STNA Study Guide Exam, is copyrighted.
“I love to write,” Chandalita said. “I am a visual learner, and I didn’t feel there was a resource available that made studying fun. I wanted to include pictures and detailed explanations. Tierrany motivated me to write the book and helped me with editing and publishing resources.”
She continued, “From my experience, Goodwill really cares. My coach was there, no matter what I needed – whether it was not having enough gas money or offering emotional support when I was overwhelmed. Through the program, I have been able so accomplish a lot, and I am really proud.”
On April 15, the AMP program announced Chandalita as its student of the year!
For more information about AMP program or Goodwill’s free employment services, visit www.goodwillcolumbus.org/services.
