Jackie R. lights up any room with her bold orange hair, big energy and even bigger dreams. She just graduated this month with a certified nursing assistant certification — a milestone she earned through grit, grace and a deep sense of purpose.
As a high school senior and part of our student intern program, she is raising two children while mentoring her peers and inspiring everyone around her.
"I’ve always had a drive to keep going," she said. "Even when life was hard, I kept asking, what else can I do?"
That mindset brought her to Learn4Life, where she found the flexibility and support to match her ambition and drive. She enrolled in the dual enrollment CNA program, balancing hands-on clinicals, academic work and motherhood with the help of her teachers and a close-knit group of classmates.
"Ms. Lopez texts me at work to quiz me," she said with a laugh. "But that’s what I love here. They check on you, they push you and they remind you you’ve got this."
