“In 8th grade, I had to drop out of school to take care of my grandmother and great-grandmother. At 18, I knew it was my time to get out of this cycle and let education lead the way. My advice is to be consistent. Attend class. Envision yourself holding that diploma. Because when you obtain it, a sense of accomplishment will rush over you.”

“In high school, I took four years of construction classes and became an advocate for CTE. I ended up declining an offer to attend a Top 100 university in another state so I could study construction at Seminole State College while also working full-time to build schools in my community. To any young woman entering the industry, I would say: Everyone around you is willing to help you learn, and there are as many opportunities for us to grow as there are for men.”

“I was 31, doing mediocre work. What inspired me to go back was my son, Noah. Now that I know better, I would definitely encourage someone to pursue either a certificate class or a two-year degree. You don’t necessarily have to start in a four-year program to get the same skills, knowledge and salary to work in a STEM career.”

“I longed to use my skills but could work only physical jobs because of my English. At ALCO, I practiced English daily and intensely. One day, my career counselor told me about a job opportunity as a contract processor at a major hotel chain. I was nervous about the interview, but I was prepared. I was hired and now work in a professional setting with full benefits and growth opportunities.”

“Working in a warehouse was a job. I feel like a job is for somebody coming straight out of high school. A career is your life. I wanted to change my life. I wanted my two children to see better for me. With my diploma and my training, I see my future, and I see everything coming toward me. This is really it now.”

“I want to be a firefighter for the same reason why I joined the military: I had a calling to serve, and I wanted to be hands-on and active physically. Now, you can go to school for a lot shorter duration, get really trained up in high-quality skills, then use that in a really awesome career and help a lot of people in your community.”

“Cuando quedé tetrapléjico después de un accidente automovilístico, mis mayores fuentes de esperanza fueron mis terapeutas. Cuando me levantaron y caminaron por primera vez, lloré a mares. Gracias al programa de terapia ocupacional de Polk, ahora uso mi experiencia para ayudar y enseñar a otros. Mi consejo es que aproveches cada oportunidad que tengas para crecer”.

“Obtuve tres certificaciones: la certificación de seguridad, la suspensión de la dirección y la eléctrica. Hacer esto en la escuela secundaria es un beneficio porque no tengo que pagar las clases hasta que llegue a la escuela técnica. Me gusta el trabajo práctico. Y mi instructor siempre es alentador y hace que la clase sea agradable. Todo lo que hace, lo aprendo muy rápido”.

"La oportunidad de acumular mis certificaciones impulsó mi carrera y me ayudó a construir la confianza necesaria para sobresalir en una industria como la tecnología de información."

"Este programa me ha dado oportunidades que nunca hubiera soñado. Cuando entré en este programa, pensé que en un año, sería una técnica quirúrgica, pero en los cinco años desde entonces, no sólo he sobresalido en mi carrera, sino que he vuelto a la misma escuela para ser un co-instructor y coordinador clínico."