“Being a Nursing Assistant is something important to me,” says Gabby. “It is such a rewarding feeling.” Before joining Wisconsin Works, Gabby did not think that going back to school as a single mother was possible. With the support of W-2 and FSET, she just earned her CNA certification and is dreaming bigger than ever before.
Gabby wanted a job that she could turn into a career, but with her daughter to care for and the bills piling up, she felt stuck grasping for any job she could get. Her FSET and W-2 teams, however, assured her that the opportunity to live her dream was still alive. They provided transportation vouchers for school and interviews, helped her enroll at FVTC, and funded her classes. They even covered her school fees, including the cost of new scrubs and shoes.
With financial help, “My biggest challenge as a student was being the student!” Gabby recalls. “Sitting through the conventional lectures was difficult. My mind was always going to thinking about my bills and my daughter, and I couldn’t wait to get out of my seat.” She focused all her energy into listening actively and taking good notes. Before long, she had earned her certificate!
“It felt good knowing that what I had worked toward paid off,” she insists. With a fresh certificate, Gabby is working side-by-side with her W-2 and FSET teams to go after a job in her new field. “Great people, great program! [They] set me in the right direction for my future.” After a few years as a CNA, Gabby plans to go back to school for her Bachelor’s in Social Work before joining the military as a nurse.
Congratulations, Gabby!
