“Without my degree, I would not have been able to do any of this.” Growing up in Cuba, Yasmin Sosa was taught that earning a degree was the best way to ensure a good financial future for herself. From an early age, her grandfather, Juvier, saw that Yasmin loved learning and encouraged her to find a way to go to college. At the age of 24, Yasmin immigrated to the United States, determined to realize her dream of earning her degree and making her grandfather proud.

From the start, Yasmin’s path to a college education was filled with challenges. While she knew she wanted to work in the tech field, she needed to get her English up to a college level before she could even begin working toward her degree.

Yasmin started taking English classes at a local church, embarking on what would turn out to be a three-year effort to improve her English language skills. After one year at the church, she transitioned to basic English at Austin Community College (ACC). By the time she finished two years of English courses there, she’d used up big chunks of her financial aid, and like many first-generation college students, she was unaware of the Federal limits. When it came time to start her associate degree program, her ACC advisor, Lucia Ponce, informed her of a great program for students in technology majors—Capital IDEA.

Yasmin applied, got accepted, and the very next semester, her college expenses were covered through the Career Expressway by Capital IDEA. She could let go of the worry that funds would run out and focus on studying and finishing her degree program. And she would need that focus because even after four years of English courses, the language and cultural barriers still presented significant obstacles. “Everything here was different than where I came from, even school and how you are taught, so it was hard to feel like I fit in.”

Eight years after immigrating to the U.S., with three of those years spent learning English and two years spent earning her degree at ACC, Yasmin’s dedication paid off. In 2017, she graduated with her Associate of Applied Science in Computer Science and was one step closer to getting into her dream career field. “Since I was a kid, I’ve loved learning everything about computers.” Upon graduation, Yasmin continued taking a database class, which Capital IDEA paid for, and earned her Database Administrator certificate. That certificate, coupled with the two internships Capital IDEA had connected her to at the Housing Authority of the City of Austin and Missionbox, plus her degree, had prepared her to land a job with one of the world’s most recognized tech companies, Meta, the parent company of Facebook.

The steadfast determination and dedication that got her through college helped her succeed in a competitive career field, but Yasmin credits her success to something she learned from her grandmother—having the right attitude. “I think being a Latina, and my English not being the best, especially with a heavy accent, my attitude has been a big factor in getting this far.” Yasmin’s grandmother taught her the importance of staying calm and collected and letting her work speak for her. With this powerful piece of advice, Yasmin has propelled her career to a leadership position as a Senior Project Engineer in Virtual Reality Labs. “I like the leadership aspect of my job, managing a team, organizing, and preparing reports. I like working with different personalities and finding ways to motivate them. I get great satisfaction from helping my team members achieve their work goals and bringing out the best in them.”

Yasmin’s attitude and self-confidence have also helped her navigate the difficult terrain of being a woman in tech and gain the respect of her mostly male co-workers. To her female colleagues vying to succeed in the male-dominated tech field, she offers this piece of advice: “Be confident in yourself and be the best in your area, get out of your comfort zone, and don’t give up. To me, having confidence is the key to everything.”

Yasmin’s dream of a college degree and a career in tech came true, and while her grandfather wasn’t alive to see it, she dedicated her graduation to him, knowing she’d made him proud. She had the advice and encouragement of her family, the guidance of a wonderful college advisor, and the support of Capital IDEA to see her through. “Capital IDEA changed my life, and because of the opportunity they gave me, I can provide a better future for my son. What Capital IDEA is doing is making dreams come true.”

Just like Yasmin, you can earn your degree and get your dream career. We’ll be with you every step of the way. You can email our team at outreach@capitalidea.org, or sign up for an information session: LEARN MORE »

By Jeff Sanchez | OCTOBER 26, 2022

“I did this for my daughters. I started this journey to take care of them.” When Dr. Debra Utpadel was asked what she was most proud of, she did not hesitate to mention her daughters, “The best thing to come out of all this is that I have two wonderful daughters who look up to me as a nurse with a doctorate.” Dr. Debra is working on something bigger than herself. She’s leaving a legacy for her daughters in the same way others left one for her.

Dr. Debra has benefited from the legacies of the strong women in her family. Her desire to help people was a character trait learned from her great-grandmother. “She was always helping people, and I was always with her when I was little.” Her passion for nursing came from her great aunt, a nurse herself, who introduced her to the nursing profession when she was a young teen. Ever since Dr. Debra has pursued a career as a nurse, but her journey took longer than expected.

Her entry into the healthcare profession was working as a paramedic while she applied to nursing school, but time and again, it didn’t work out. “Getting into school and paying for tuition were some of my biggest roadblocks. I had tried to get into nursing school at ACC for 3 or 4 years to get into their ADN program. I had applied to get into nursing colleges all over Texas before my kids were born.” In the early 2000s, not unlike now, nursing schools had limited spots and numerous applicants, and Debra had no luck in landing one of those coveted spots. After her second daughter was born, life as a single parent got demanding. Her EMS certification expired, and she no longer had the time for nursing school.

Debra had no choice but to walk away from healthcare and her family legacy. She felt hopeless as a single mom of a newborn and a toddler. She cleaned houses to scrape out a living for her family, and she had little to no time for anything else between her job and her responsibilities as a parent. She knew an education would help her, but it felt so far out of reach. Interestingly, she received a bit of hope from an unlikely place, her gynecologist. She gave her a flyer about a program called Capital IDEA that would pay for her degree. Debra went to an information session because, why not? What did she have to lose?

A funny thing about legacies, they often hinge on small moments that make a lasting impression. That’s exactly how Debra remembers her CareerUp information session. “(Career Navigator) Sister Ane saw me and came towards me. I think she saw that I was in great distress, and she told me that this wasn’t the end and I wasn’t going to be on welfare forever, and she talked me into the program. It was Sister Ane who convinced me to go to school. I wasn’t going to go back. I was done.” Sister Ane encouraged Debra to do this for herself and her daughters. And just like that, she was back to building on her family legacy. Debra applied and got accepted into the program. Now came the hard part, going to school.

Walking into a classroom as a student in her thirties was a bit intimidating. “Back then, adult learners weren’t the thing. I was the oldest person in my LVN class.” But as time went on, the helping nature that was passed down from her great-grandmother came out, and soon Debra would find herself guiding some of her classmates. “I was able to help the people younger than me. They looked up to me. There was quite a number who were single moms. They were struggling to get through classes because they didn’t realize what was out there to help them.”

Yet, as helpful as she was to others, it didn’t make going to school any easier for Debra. “I had my Career Navigator on speed dial. Every time it got tough, I called Maria Mora to tell her that this was too tough and hard. She held my hand through the whole thing and kept telling me I could do it.” As a single parent, she not only had to figure out childcare while she was in classes and, subsequently, her clinicals, but she also had to figure out when to study. Fortunately, her mom could help with some childcare responsibilities, but she lived across town, “Sometimes I had to drop off my kids at 5 a.m. to make clinicals. I did that for about 18 months through my program. It was really difficult to put in the time to study. Sometimes I wouldn’t go to bed until 2 a.m. and wake up 2 hours later to study more.” Capital IDEA helped by providing resources to supplement daycare, and eventually, the long days and sleepless nights culminated in Debra earning her Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN). She continued the legacy of her great aunt, who worked as a nurse, but was also creating her own, as she became the first female in her family to get a degree.

Overcoming her obstacles to getting her ADN gave Debra the confidence to do more. Debra went on to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (BSN), her Master’s degree, and a Doctorate in Nurse Practice and is now a Board Certified Adult Geriatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner. Her career took her from the Austin area to Connecticut, Arkansas, and finally, Nacogdoches, Texas, where she is the Senior Nurse Practitioner at East Texas Community Health Services, helping people who need it the most. Her clinic provides medications at little to no cost for an immigrant population with little to no money to pay for healthcare. Her patients are more than bodies she patches up, they’re people she cares for, even to the point of walking them through the grocery store to teach them what foods to buy for their diabetic needs, leaving a legacy of love with a population that is so often forgotten.

Yet, the most important legacy for Debra will always be the one she has passed on to her daughters. While Dr. Debra was earning degrees and working as a nurse in various locations, she raised two strong, independent women, of whom she is very proud. “They love school. It gave them the sense that they needed to do something with their lives. They know they need to go to school to become somebody so they can take care of themselves.” Her youngest, Roxanne, saved up her money as a teenager and purchased her first house at 18, and now is going to nursing school to pursue her BSN, following in her mother’s footsteps. Her oldest, Samantha, was diagnosed with autism as a teenager, and she was told she would never be able to live alone and care for herself. “When the doctors told her this, she said, ‘Yeah, No.’” Today, at 24, she is pursuing a degree in Neuropsychology and living very comfortably on her own.

As Dr. Debra nears retirement, she’s not done adding to her legacy. She still teaches the new nurse practitioners at her clinic, and “I’m really considering going back to school and getting a Post Master’s certification in Psych and Mental Health. I really like to travel, and if I’m a psych mental health nurse, I can do that from anywhere.” Yet even with all her accomplishments, Dr. Debra remembers that she benefited from the many people who helped shape her, encourage her, push her, and uplift her. And to prospective students, she offers this advice: “Capital IDEA is a family. There’s always somebody there that you can talk it through and figure it out. You’re not on your own. You just have to take that first step. Sometimes just knowing you belong to something bigger than yourself will encourage you to try and do it.”

Just like Dr. Debra, you can create a legacy that you and your loved ones will be proud of. And we’ll be with you every step of the way. You can email our team at outreach@capitalidea.org, or sign up for an information session: LEARN MORE »

BIG NEWS — Extension approved! In January 2022, we announced we had expanded the list of career opportunities available to applicants from Hays and Bastrop counties. This expansion was set to expire at the end of September 2022, but has now been extended a full year! The new expiration is September 30, 2023. Residents who apply in the next year can still choose from the same full list of careers available to Travis and Williamson County residents. Your college degree is FREE to you — just pick your new career and receive all of the benefits of our Career Expressway program:

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Which Careers Are New?

Previously, Hays and Bastrop residents had a short list of nine or fewer healthcare careers to choose from. On our expanded list, the number of careers has more than doubled! Choose from three additional Healthcare careers, three Technology (IT) careers, and nine Trades & Other careers. See below. These added careers include several exciting options. Advanced Manufacturing was added to our list less than a year ago. Automotive Technician includes a professional toolset purchased for each student. And LAN Systems Network Administrator is our most popular IT degree. Each career on our list offers great pay and growth opportunities, which means the hard work you put in now will pay off for the rest of your working life. Follow the links in the list below for information on the career you want to learn more about, or visit our Career Directory »

Once you’ve found your future career, take the next step! Sign up for a CareerUp information session. We’ll cover everything you need to know about how to get your FREE degree through our Career Expressway program, sign up!

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Careers Open to Hays & Bastrop

*Newly added for Hays and Bastrop

Field	Career Options
	Registered Nurse (RN, ADN) Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) * Biotechnology Dental Hygienist Diagnostic Medical Imaging — Radiology Emergency Medical Services (EMS) * Health Information Technology (Medical Coder) Medical Laboratory Technician Occupational Therapy Assistant Physical Therapy Assistant * Respiratory Therapist Surgical Technician
	* LAN Systems Network Administrator * IT User & Computer Support Specialist * Computer Programming: Web Development
	* Advanced Manufacturing Technician * Automotive Technician * CAD – Computer Aided Design * Electronics Technician * Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) * Land Surveying Technology & Geomatics * Power Technology * Renewable Energy Technician * Utility Lineworker

For a full list of qualifications, please visit: Qualifications »
To get started, sign up for a CareerUp information session: Sign up »

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FAQ: Why is this program FREE?
We’re a nonprofit with a mission to get our Central Texas neighbors into great careers. Each year, Capital IDEA raises enough money to pay for tuition and textbooks for over 800 adults, like you! If you’re eligible for our program, your tuition and textbooks are already paid for by the generous support of our funders, including the City of Austin, Travis County, and St. David’s Foundation. Get started with your FREE education — Sign up now»

This is a transcript of the speech given by Alicia at the 2022 Whitlow Ice Cream Social Event | SEPTEMBER 14, 2022

Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Alicia Rodriguez. A few years ago, I was one of the featured families in the Austin American Statesman’s Season for Caring campaign. At the time, they called me an ‘aspiring nurse.’ Well, I’m proud to tell you that I am no longer ‘aspiring.’ I am now a Pediatric Site Nurse at Lonestar Circle of Care in Round Rock, thanks to Capital IDEA and donors like you.

I grew up in the valley, raised by my wonderful mother, Zonia, and I originally attempted college right out of high school. My mom had never been, which would have made me a first-generation college graduate. But I was young and unready for the responsibility. When I didn’t feel like going, I didn’t go, and after a semester, I dropped out.

When I turned 21, I left home looking for something new, but 5 years later, my grandmother got really sick, so I moved back to help take care of her. When she passed, my mom and I moved out of the valley to be closer to family and settled here in Williamson County, in the Round Rock / Hutto area. Soon after, I met the future father of my children. I had A.J., my oldest son, and Ezra a couple of years later. At the time, I was working as a medical assistant with Lonestar Circle of Care. I enjoyed it, but I realized that if I wanted a bigger family, which I did, I would need to make more money.

At Lonestar, I saw all the nurses in action, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. The problem was I needed a degree. I’d heard about a program called Capital IDEA but thought to myself, ‘nah, it’s too good to be true.’ There had to be a catch, but I went to a CareerUp info session anyway, and I learned there wasn’t a catch, and I got really excited.

Going back to school as an adult with a family was much more difficult than I expected. The schoolwork and studying were hard enough, but I also had a lot to deal with in my personal life. During the 4 years I was with Capital IDEA, I had my third son, Felix, I separated from my husband, and my mom developed kidney failure, which required dialysis 3 times a week.

A lot of pieces had to come together to make it work. I moved my family to subsidized housing in Georgetown and found an early morning dialysis appointment for my mom. From there, I’d drop the boys at school and then head to my own classes before going to work.

Eventually, the strain started to catch up to me. I started feeling guilty about leaving my mom to take care of the kids in the evenings while I was at work. I also didn’t get to have any time with my boys. I would come home right at bedtime most nights, and the weekends were spent studying. I’d be on my laptop, and my boys would sit next to me with their toy tablets and pretend they were studying, too, just so they could spend time with me.

It was too much, so I did the math and figured that if I quit my job, we could just barely squeeze by on my monthly child support and Pell Grants. It was tight, and there was no cushion for extra things like car repairs. And then an unexpected blessing happened.

I got a call from Amy Silvey of Capital IDEA that I was selected as a Season of Caring recipient! What a blessing, and it couldn’t have come at a better time! The funds paid for car repairs, utility bills, groceries, and more. It gave me the help I needed to make it to graduation. And the blessings just kept coming.

I was able to continue my education and earn my bachelor’s degree. I was also able to return to Lonestar Circle of Care, where my years spent as a medical assistant helped me get a job as a Pediatric Site Nurse. Not only that, I got a day shift with weekends off! I’m making up for lost time with my boys. And I just bought a house — a 4 bedroom in Jarrell with a big back yard!

I am so thankful for all the blessings God has given my family. He took care of us through it all and brought wonderful people, like those at Capital IDEA and all of you, into our lives. I don’t know if you realize how much good you and Capital IDEA do for families like mine. This has changed my family’s future. Now, my boys know they will go to college, and I’m their example. They’ve seen how hard work and education can make for a better life, and I am so grateful for that. On behalf of my family, thank you, and God bless you.

Just like Alicia, you can go from aspiring for a new career to accomplishing your goals. Sign up for a free, no-obligation info session to get started today. You can email our team at outreach@capitalidea.org, or sign up for an information session: LEARN MORE »

By Jeff Sanchez | AUGUST 29, 2022

When Rebecca Meneses’ life got off track, her road back was anything but easy. “Being a single mom without any formal education was so challenging.” She was lost and needed to find her way back, if not for herself, to provide for her son and the big family she hoped to have someday. “As a kid, I always told my mom I was going to have ten kids! I just love kids, but when I became a single mom, I didn’t know if that was ever going to be a possibility.”

Like almost thirty percent of Capital IDEA students, Rebecca’s parents were college graduates, and they wanted the same for her. “I always knew college was expected growing up, so it was never a question.” Her parents taught her to have goals and work towards them, and Rebecca’s goals were to go to college, get a good job, and start a big family. But Rebecca would soon learn that life is more complicated than that, and sometimes, our plans can go awry.

In her final year of high school, Rebecca’s best friend tragically passed away. “I was kind of lost after that. I didn’t know what I wanted to do.” She got pregnant the summer after high school graduation, and her college plans got waylaid. She ended up marrying the father of her child, but shortly after that, they divorced, leaving Rebecca as a young, single mother with an infant son to take care of.

Rebecca worked a full-time job and would clean houses on the side to make ends meet. “I was working 12 hours a day, six days a week, not getting any time with my son. That’s not something I wanted to do,” said Rebecca. Feeling trapped and with no way out, Rebecca did the best she could to provide for herself and her child. But this wasn’t the life she wanted; this wasn’t the life she had envisioned.

Rebecca knew she needed to find something better for herself and her son but didn’t know how. Then, when her brother got sick, Rebecca found herself curious to learn more about his illness. “I was really interested to know what happened to him, and the science in nursing really sparked my interest.” Unfortunately, with the demands on her life as a single parent, going to nursing school seemed like an unattainable goal. She would need help, and that’s when her cousin told her about Capital IDEA. It sounded too good to be true, but with nothing to lose, Rebecca attended a CareerUp information session and was convinced. This program could help her to her new goal of becoming a nurse!

In addition to tuition, books, and childcare, Capital IDEA also provided proven strategies for succeeding in college. “Capital IDEA gave me a recipe for success. They had parameters we needed to maintain, like a certain GPA and a certain level of attendance. That gave me accountability and a sort of recipe to follow.” Throughout her college journey, Rebecca met regularly with her Career Navigator. “The weekly check-ins were so helpful. Just having someone who was consistently there rooting for you was so helpful.”

Rebecca also received wrap-around support when her finances threatened her progress. “Capital IDEA provided me with Wal-Mart gift cards, which was so helpful because I could use them for gas, food, and school supplies. That was a huge help! I can’t tell you how many times those cards saved me.”

Even with all that support, Rebecca still had to figure out how to manage a part-time job, keep her grades up in college, and do everything that came along with being a single parent. “It was tough, but I made it work. I took any free hour I had to study. I even used to read my anatomy books to my son as bedtime stories to get some additional study time!” Going to college was more than just getting a degree and a good job for Rebecca. It was a way for her to provide a better life for her son and to show him that if you work hard, you can accomplish your goals.

In 2010, at 29, Rebecca graduated with her Associate Degree in Registered Nursing and was excited to accept a position at the Children’s Hospital of Austin soon after. “I love working with children. I think they are so inspiring, and they have a lot to teach us. Working with children, I can really help our community and our families.” Twelve years later, she continues her work with children, earning several certifications in pediatric care—Certified Pediatric Nurse, Certified Pediatric Massage Therapy, and Certified Hospice and Palliative Pediatric Nurse. She is now at Dell Children’s Hospital, where she’s transitioned into hospice care. “I’m able to be there with the families and walk them through the end-of-life journey and teach parents how to love during that difficult time.”

Today, Rebecca enjoys the life she once envisioned for herself as a teen. She happily remarried in May 2021. Her husband brought over two kids from a previous marriage, and now Rebecca has a full house with five kids. “It’s so wonderful to come home from work, be tired, and have all these little faces looking at you, and they’re excited and happy to see you. It’s so rewarding and so fun.” Her newly blended family is extremely supportive and understanding of the emotionally demanding nature of her work. “I have a great support team. My husband is so supportive and so understanding of my role and the importance of my job. He allows me to have space to talk or just to have time for myself. I rely on my family a lot for that kind of support.”

Finding her way back was not easy for Rebecca, and it took a lot of support to get her to where she is today. She is so grateful for her loving family, including her mother, stepfather, father, and grandmother. “My dad was a huge inspiration to me, a driving force to get my goals started, and the person I talked to for advice. But the person I’d like to acknowledge the most is my grandmother. She drove me to my Capital IDEA assessment, was there for me through thick and thin, always supportive, my ally, she is my everything and remains my cornerstone.”

Rebecca is only too happy to share her life lessons with prospective students who might feel the same way she did, that their life has gone off track, and they don’t know what to do next. She encourages them to set goals, then go for it, utilizing any and all resources and support available to them, like Capital IDEA. “You have to go for it. Even if you are apprehensive or feel like you can’t do it, just do it. Capital IDEA will hold your hand through it, and they will help you achieve those goals. If they see the attitude that you want to get this done, they will do whatever it takes to get you there.”

Just like Rebecca, you have the capability to get your life back on track, but first, you have to get up and go for it! And we’ll be here to support you through it all. You can email our team at outreach@capitalidea.org, or sign up for an information session: LEARN MORE »

When the Topfer family set out to start a foundation, they had two goals in mind—to help their neighbors and leave a legacy of giving for their family. “The family has a heart for people, and they genuinely care about the health and well-being of Austin,” said Melanie Cazier, Topfer Family Foundation (TFF) Program Officer in Austin, TX. “They want to leave it better than it was when they started.” Through their compassionate act of giving, the Topfers have helped transform the lives of countless individuals in their communities.

The Topfer Family Foundation was created in 2000 to help connect people to the tools and resources needed to build self-sufficient and fulfilling lives. They carefully select organizations that focus their energies on one of five key program areas– child abuse prevention and treatment, youth enrichment, job training, and support services, children’s health, and aging in place. As of December 2021, TFF has given nearly 78 million dollars in donations to organizations in the Austin and Chicago areas. “The growth in Austin is immense, and the needs for people are growing too. That’s why we stand by those organizations that are providing those core services as Austin continues to grow,” said Melanie.

Capital IDEA is one such organization. The partnership between Capital IDEA and the TFF started with a story, Melanie recalls, of a young woman who was living in a shelter. After connecting with Capital IDEA, she moved to transitional housing, got her degree in nursing, and changed her life. “Years later, she had a child that went to college and became a nurse as well, so it really transformed that family forever. It wasn’t just the mom; the daughter was influenced as well. Stories like that were really compelling for us.”

More than 20 years past their initial introduction, TFF continues its faithful support of Capital IDEA, with their lifetime giving now totaling well over a million dollars. Both the level and consistency of their support have had a huge impact on Capital IDEA’s ability to deliver on its mission, a fact that is not lost on Capital IDEA’s Executive Director, Alyssia Palacios-Woods. “At $85 per credit hour, 1 million dollars is a serious investment in the college attainment of our low-income neighbors. In the non-profit world, this steady and reliable giving allows us to plan ahead, commit to new students, and support them for the time it will take for them to graduate and enter employment.”

The way Capital IDEA supports students produces results TFF is interested in. “The people that Capital IDEA supports go on to graduate and live successful lives for themselves and their families. Just the fact that this organization is helping people go on and live self-sustainable lives is wonderful,” said Melanie. This type of impact is what the TFF believes will help transform communities. “Folks who graduate from Capital IDEA’s program are able to go out and live self-sufficient lives and make an impact in the community they live in through their work and their support of the community.” When asked why Capital IDEA would make a good investment for anyone, her reply was clear, “Capital IDEA is one of the few organizations in town that is truly lifting families out of poverty.”

If you’d like to support our mission: Donate »

Pictured Top left: Michael with daughters, Andrea and Sofia and grandson Dakota Lee; top right: Michael with son Kevin; bottom left: Michael accepting check on behalf of Dream Come True Foundation; bottom right: Michael at work

Michael Rayos has made many choices in his life, both big and small, and in the words of the beloved literary character, Albus Dumbledore, “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” This is especially true of Michael. By going to college, earning a degree, and working hard, Michael has proved to himself that he is capable. As a result, he now has a great job and earns an amazing salary. But Michael’s story isn’t just about him discovering his own capabilities, it’s also about the many choices he made along the way. Some were big and some small, but all of them reveal something about Michael and who he truly is.

From an early age, Michael knew he wanted his career to have something to do with computers. “I watched a movie, and I remember a line that said: ‘Computers are the key to the future.’ All the way back from high school, when you asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I would say I want to work with computers.” He had never owned a computer before and barely even knew how one operated. “Remember those old AOL commercials offering the CDs for nine dollars? I remember begging my mom to get it for me, thinking that was a computer. Then one day someone told my mom it was just the thing that went in the computer. When I found out, I was crushed.” But that didn’t stop Michael from dreaming that one day he would be working with computers.

After graduating high school at 17, Michael had only a vague idea of what came next. “My parents worked in the auto detailing business, and no one else in my family had gone to college, so there were no examples in my life that I could look up to.” He applied for student loans and moved from Austin to Abilene. “I needed to get away because there were too many distractions here, so I chose a college far away so I could focus.” Unfortunately, it didn’t go well. “Growing up the way I did, no one taught me how to properly study and prepare for tests. I didn’t have the structure to help me be successful in school.”

Meanwhile, Michael had two nieces and a nephew who were coming up on two years in the foster care system, a cutoff date that meant the children would soon be eligible for permanent placement. No one in his family was able to take them in, so Michael was faced with a big choice. “When the caseworker made it clear that they were going to start looking for forever families, I asked if I could do it. I had already been thinking about it, and when the opportunity came, I signed up.” Now 19, Michael made a big choice to drop out of college, move back to Austin, and adopt them himself.

Michael found a job that would accommodate his new life as a single parent. It paid just enough for him to provide for the kids, if only scraping by. College was out of the question. “I had to choose between school, working full-time, and being a full-time parent. If I did all three, something would’ve suffered. I had to work full-time to provide. My kids had suffered enough, so I couldn’t do that to them. So, I chose not to go to school for now.”

As his kids got older, Michael attempted college again. Again, it did not go well. “High school doesn’t prepare you for college. In high school, I figured out how to get by. In college, getting by doesn’t work anymore.” He didn’t finish the one course he’d registered for, and now, he was coming to the realization that perhaps it was time to stop chasing his childhood dream.

Then, on a Sunday morning at church, his pastor asked if she could start praying for an opportunity for Michael to go to college. Michael wanted to dismiss the idea, but his friends and family were bugging him too, telling him he couldn’t give up on his dream. So, Michael said, “sure, why not, you’re not going to find anything.” To his surprise, those prayers were answered within a couple of months.

Michael’s pastor connected him to the Dream Come True Foundation. Once he was accepted, The Dream Come True Foundation provided Michael with a stipend allowing him to work part-time. Then they connected him with Capital IDEA to cover his college expenses. Resources were falling into place, but Michael was worried about more than tuition. “My first time, when I went to Abilene, I wasn’t very successful. I didn’t have the support I needed to keep my priorities straight and stay on track.” He needed guidance as well as support, which thankfully, Capital IDEA also provided.

“My Career Navigator helped me with insights into the professors, study habits, all of those things prepared me for success, things I didn’t have the first go around.” College was still difficult, but between his Career Navigator and the community of Capital IDEA students that supported each other with the coursework, he started making real progress. “I don’t think there was one class that I had where there wasn’t a Capital IDEA student.”

Nearing graduation, Michael and the other Capital IDEA students started getting emails about internship opportunities. The one that caught Michael’s eye was at Indeed, the largest job site in the world and one of the biggest tech companies in Austin. “I knew I didn’t have a chance,” he said, but he convinced himself to apply anyway. “I thought I could use the experience of interviewing for a tech job with a big company.” It seemed like a small choice at the time, interviewing for a job he had no hope of getting. “As I was leaving, I asked one of the interviewers how I did. He said, “Well, when we asked about your home network and you didn’t have one, that wasn’t good.”” They’d asked Michael several questions he didn’t know the answer to, but at least now he knew what he could work on.

Michael moved on and did much better at an interview with a small company, when much to his surprise, he got an email from Ron Modesty, Senior Employer Coordinator at Capital IDEA. “I just got off the phone with Indeed. They are preparing to make you an offer.” Another big choice presented itself. Should Michael hold onto the permanent position he’d just accepted at a small company, or take a leap and accept a 16-week internship at Indeed? He chose Indeed. “It was so surreal.”

Showing up at Indeed, “I felt like an impostor and that I didn’t belong there. I thought to myself, I should learn everything I can before they figure me out.” Michael decided he would do anything that was asked of him so as not to miss out on a single opportunity to learn, and his supervisors noticed. The mundane tasks that had turned everyone else off were something new for Michael to learn. His reputation continued to grow, and his peers would come to respect and appreciate his willingness to do anything. This earned him a full-time position with the IT department after the 16-week internship.

When a special project came up that no one else wanted, they approached Michael with it. “Yup, I’ll do it!” He dug in, and as the project grew, so did the opportunities. The project became a new team, Identity and Access Management, and he landed the company’s newly created full-time position.

Indeed restructured and his team moved under Information and Security Department, which continued him down a career path Michael was incredibly excited about. But six years passed, and Michael started to feel like he needed a new challenge. Then, out of the blue, a former co-worker contacted him about an opening at his company for a Cloud Security Engineer. It was incredible opportunity, a dream job, but Michael hesitated. Even after everything he’d learned and accomplished at Indeed, he still felt like an imposter, and he convinced himself that he didn’t have any hope of getting the job. He applied anyway.

Right away, his worse fears were confirmed, he didn’t have the certifications required for the job. But a couple of months later the company reached out again. There was one spot left on the team, and his name kept coming up. His drive and attitude impressed the interview team, and his experience with Identity and Access Management at Indeed was just enough for them to take a chance on him, despite his lack of certifications. He got the job offer, with the caveat that he would get Google Security certified.

In May 2022, he accepted the position and title of Cloud Security Engineer. His new salary is in the six figures, almost 200 times as much as he made before he started with Capital IDEA, and there are new challenges galore. He has plenty of room to learn and grow in his new field. His kids have witnessed first-hand the value of investing in an education. “Not only have they seen how it’s increased my pay, but now they know about all these careers available to them.”

Ten years ago, if you had told Michael that he would be working in the tech field making six figures, he wouldn’t have believed it. “I was at the point where I had accepted that my dream of working in tech was not going to happen. But when I think about how long it took to get here, it’s all so amazing.”

Michael’s journey is far from over. He now sits on the board for The Dream Come True Foundation, where he brings an important perspective. “There are times when I get to educate the other board members about how poor people think. There are things that aren’t as important to us because we’re more concerned with things like food and rent. This is why it’s important for people like me to be in these spaces.” Michael also speaks on behalf of Capital IDEA to prospective students at CareerUps and at City Council meetings to help secure funding. He gives a lot of credit to Capital IDEA for his successful career and wants to help spread the word so others can take advantage of the same opportunity. “Through Capital IDEA, I had the support and the community I needed and that was huge.”

Despite his self-doubts, Michael made choices, big and small, throughout his journey to get to where he is today. “I always saw myself as an impostor and was afraid someone would find out. It wasn’t until I got this new job that I finally started seeing myself as capable.” He knows there are many people like him who feel the same way and this continues to motivate him. “I need to reach back and bring someone up with me. I want people to know that they belong and deserve to be here. They need to be here, and they have the capability to make it.”

Just like Michael, you have the capability to make it even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. It’s a big choice whether to go back to school or not, but sometimes, making the choice is the hardest part. If you’re ready to make that choice or need more information, let’s talk. You can email our team at outreach@capitalidea.org, or sign up for an information session: LEARN MORE »

You never know what you’re capable of until your back is against the wall. That’s what it took for Stephanie Berman to realize her full potential. In her thirties, Stephanie fled an abusive marriage with her life and her three children. Thrust into the role of sole provider, she knew she had to do something to support herself and her kids, and through the invitation of a neighbor, she went back to school, where a whole new world opened up to her. She discovered that she was capable of learning new things and succeeding at a professional level.

Stephanie has come a long way from that time in her life. If you met her today, you’d meet Stephanie Berman the proud business owner and advocate for workplace learning, and might never guess how tumultuous her journey has been. Since graduating from Capital IDEA, she has gone on to earn a master’s degree and start her own consulting business, Engagement Through Education, which helps train and prepare caregivers and nurses to be successful in the workforce. She’s confident and passionate about helping others who struggle as she did because she knows how easy it is for people to underestimate their own capabilities. I had the chance to sit down with Stephanie to hear more about her story. Below is the recorded interview broken into eight segments with condensed and edited transcripts under each video.

1. Meet Stephanie Berman, Capital IDEA Graduate

Hi, my name is Stephanie Berman and I got my associate degree in nursing at Austin Community College through the Capital IDEA program and then from there, I went on to get my bachelor’s degree and my master’s degree with University of Texas at Arlington via the online version of the program. And currently, right now I am running my own company called Engagement Through Education which offers all different types of engagement for healthcare along with RN delegation that we do, and I also do many things consulting out in the industry for companies such as hospices or leadership teams running assisted livings or nursing homes or anyone who needs any kind of input from the RN perspective for what they’re doing.

2. What was your life like before Capital IDEA?

I was a newly single mom, which happened, unfortunately, due to domestic violence. I had 3 very small kids. At the time, my twins were one, about to turn two, and I had a six-year old. I was a stay-at-home mom at that point, and I knew I had to do something to support them, and I had to figure it out. My life had just fallen apart and turned upside down, and fortunately, my neighbor came to me and told me she was going to nursing school, and through teary eyes, I was like, ok.

3. What obstacles prevented you from going to college?

For myself, and for many other single moms I’ve talked to who are going to nursing school, I had no idea I could actually, learn. I really didn’t. I knew I wasn’t dumb, I was smart, but to actually, formally, learn something, and to become licensed at something and become an actual expert in it, I didn’t know I had the ability in me to do that. I knew I was a great mom. I knew I could figure out how to navigate that, and how to do things for them, but to actually, formally do something, I didn’t know. And then the thought of going back to school and back to work, what was I going to do with my kids? That played a big role in any choices I was making.

4. What was it like getting started?

Honestly, when that neighbor came and said, go with me to nursing school. I like to tell the funniest story. When I went to Austin Community College, and I was sitting there, there was a young guy at the registration desk, and I didn’t know what I was doing but I knew I needed to do something. When I’m sitting there and doing the registration, I’m sobbing and telling him my whole life story, and he just looked at me with this stare like, “uh, yeah, ma’am,” and he just pushed the paperwork at me, “I just need you to fill this out here.” So, I thought, ok, it was like a shock. And it made me think, ok, you can either be a victim your whole life, or you can change the story of what’s happened to you. You are going to be the only person who is able to do that. So, while there are people to help you along the way, you are going to have to take the steps.

5. What was it like going back to school?

So I had to fill out the forms, and then there were all the entrance tests I had to take, like reading and math. I thought to myself, oh this isn’t going to be good. When I went to high school I was just there for my friends. We had a great time, we only had to have a D to pass and graduate, and there was no expectation beyond that. So I met the minimum expectation. That’s why I knew taking those placement tests, it wasn’t going to be good. I was ok with reading and writing, but for math, they were expecting a lot, and I was nowhere near that. I had to start at the bottom when it came to math. One of the first classes I took was Anatomy and Physiology. In that class, the professor gave a test every day, and I remember when I got back the results of the first test I took. I’ll never forget it. I looked at it and it said, A+. I had no idea I could learn! I thought to myself, I just did this with three small kids, I was in the middle of a nasty divorce, I was trying to survive, and somehow I was able to get a 100 on a test! That was my moment where I realized I could actually do this.

6. What was the most meaningful support service you received?

The most meaningful support I received from Capital IDEA was everything. And when I say everything, I mean absolutely everything. There were the books, the scrubs, the stethoscope, the shoes, the scissors. I was better equipped than those who had the resources that they needed. There was not a study guide, or a test class, or anything additional that I needed, that Capital IDEA didn’t meet with a resource. The practical stuff from food to a Thanksgiving dinner, to helping me find resources outside even of what Capital IDEA could do, in order to keep me going. Like removing every obstacle so I could keep going on my journey to becoming a nurse.

7. What advice would you give prospective students?

Here’s the advice I would give to somebody hesitant to go back to school. Is it because you think you can’t learn or you can’t do it? This is the time to take the chance. With the support of someone or something like Capital IDEA, because there is going to be someone at Capital IDEA who will make an impact and then that something is that machine at Capital IDEA behind you to be able to use all the resources. So, if there’s a time to be successful, this is the time to be successful. Don’t doubt yourself. You can do more than you’ve ever thought possible. You can do more for yourself and for your family. And in a year from now, you’ll be so happy that you’re a year closer to whatever goal it is that you want to be. Whether it’s a nurse, mechanic, CNA, electrician. It doesn’t matter what it is. You’ll be happy you took that step. For me, this has been very true. In education, whether it’s a formal education or somebody just inputting into my life. Knowledge, it gave me options, and everybody does better when you have options and when you have choices. And that’s what you want to create for yourself. A life where you have options and choices of what you can do.

8. What advice would you give to graduate nurses entering the workforce?

There is not going to be a perfect place to take care of people. That’s the bottom line. There are going to be a lot of great places to go and care for them. Whether you’re doing it in the hospital or you’re doing it in the post-acute, you’re doing it at home. You could be doing it in all types of services to take care of people. The most impactful thing that you’re going to be able to do is to care for people. And to input into their lives. Because you’re not just going to be able to touch their lives, you’re going to be able to reach everyone’s life around them. Don’t lose sight of that because that’s really easy to do. The other thing I would say is that complaining about anything when it comes to taking care of people, even if it’s the situation of the environment where you’re taking care of them, doing any kind of complaining, don’t be the complainer be the problem solver. When I wanted to do this company it’s because I saw a problem and I knew I could fix it. Even if you’re not the type of person to start a business, you don’t have to be that person, but you can talk to people about solutions. That’s what everybody wants. They want solutions. How can we make this better, and what can we do? If you get frustrated, that’s just sitting down with a fellow nurse with a good cup of coffee, maybe a little glass of wine, and being able to talk that out, and talk about how you can fix and solve that. There are so many people just right here, in Texas alone, there are so many people who are vested in helping you all do the very best job you can as nurses. You’ve got this!

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At Capital IDEA, we provide services and support to remove obstacles keeping individuals from realizing their potential and career goals. If you are feeling held back due to circumstances in your life, let’s talk. You can email our team at outreach@capitalidea.org, or sign up for an information session: LEARN MORE »

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Pictured left: Estrella Saldana; top right: Estrella and her parents; bottom right: Estrella and her Career Navigator, Tonia Gooden

One of Estrella Saldana’s earliest memories is of bringing in groceries from the car. Her mom would place one small item in a grocery bag and let her drag it into the house (she was too little to carry it). She absolutely loved it. From that young age, Estrella knew that helping others made her happy. As she grew, Estrella’s desire to help grew too, and by the time she graduated high school, she knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life. “Nursing was a great way to give back and help. My heart was calling me to nursing.”

No one in Estrella’s family had experience with going to college. This meant no one in her family could help her navigate the complexities of college enrollment, and she didn’t know anything about grants, scholarships, or where to get help financially. So, she enrolled in classes at Austin Community College (ACC) and planned to work a full-time job to pay for tuition and her expenses. Unfortunately, the program she wanted to get into had a two-year waiting list. Estrella did not want to wait, so, she searched for an alternative.

She thought she had found the perfect solution, but little did she know the trouble ahead. She enrolled in a for-profit school whose class schedule worked with her work schedule, and they promised her she would be able to complete the program faster. It was expensive, but through the student loans they helped her apply for and a full-time job, she could pay for the program. Unfortunately, the school went bankrupt, lost its accreditation, and closed shop before Estrella could complete the program. Not only was she on the hook for her loans, but the credits she earned at this school wouldn’t transfer anywhere. She was left with no credentials, a mountain of debt, and her dream of becoming a nurse seemed to be slipping away.

She felt defeated. The long drives to the campus and the sleep-deprived days of balancing work and school had left her with nothing to show for it. Chasing her dream was becoming increasingly difficult. So, if she couldn’t become a nurse, Estrella figured she would get a job in the healthcare industry. She was a hard worker and worked her way up from a research technician to a project manager assistant at a pharmaceutical company. She earned a decent wage and was able to take ownership of her childhood home that her parents passed down to her. Life was coming together, but her dream of becoming a nurse was still tugging at her, and she began saving up for college once more.

Then, in a twist of fate, Estrella came home after working a late-night shift to a shocking discovery. A tornado had come through and destroyed her house! “Everything was wet, and I lost everything. I lost my house. I felt like all my dreams, and everything I worked for was gone.” As she slowly figured out how to recover from this devastating loss, she realized, “I can’t go to school right now. I’ll have to put my dreams to the side again.”

But Estrella just couldn’t shake the desire to become a nurse. “I wanted to be a role model. I wanted to help people. I knew I wanted more, and I wanted my parents to be proud.” She tried going back to school on her own dime again, but she came to a crossroads. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford to go to school and continue working full time, so I had to pick one, and that’s when Capital IDEA came and rescued me.”

It just so happened one of her co-workers was a nursing student at ACC. She told Estrella that Capital IDEA was paying for her tuition, textbooks, and other school expenses. This sounded too good to be true, but Estrella took the chance, applied, and got accepted, and it turned out to be one of her best decisions. “Going back to school with Capital IDEA supporting me was amazing! I finally felt like I had the resources I needed.” The financial support was a huge weight lifted off Estrella’s shoulders, and her Career Navigator, Tonia, was nothing short of amazing. “She would check up on me, making sure I was doing ok. Just having someone that understood, having someone to relate to and talk to about things like deadlines and credits was so helpful.”

As graduation approached, Estrella worked with Capital IDEA Senior Employment Coordinator Ron Modesty, who reviewed her resume, prepared her for interviews, guided her job search, and even helped her with negotiating! “When I was getting multiple job offers, I didn’t know what to do, so I called Ron! He advised me on how to handle negotiations with them and get the best deal possible.”

On November 1, 2021, Estrella started her dream job as a Licensed Vocational Nurse at Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas in the Digestive Health department. “It’s been so much fun. I love to learn, and I’m learning so many new things.” And now, she’s looking to expand her dream. “I want to work towards becoming a Physician’s Assistant, and who knows, if things work out, maybe become an MD someday.”

Estrella went through a lot on her way to getting her dream job. She encourages aspiring students to take a leap of faith, believe in themselves, and dream big. “I hope you find the resilience to keep going. You are capable of everything, even though it feels overwhelming. You are worthy of a bright future.”

At Capital IDEA, we share Estrella’s belief that everyone is worthy of a bright future, and we’d like to help you achieve yours. If you are feeling held back due to a lack of guidance and resources, let’s talk. You can email our team at outreach@capitalidea.org, or sign up for an information session: LEARN MORE »

Below is a transcript of Gabrielle’s Aurora Alworth Award acceptance speech at the 2022 Celebration of Achievements held virtually on March 1, 2022. Watch the slide presentation and listen to her speech here: YouTube Event Recording »

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Good afternoon, friends:

My name is Gabrielle Michelle Shepherd, and I am a Registered Nurse and a 2021 Austin Community College graduate. I am so excited to receive the Aurora Alworth Spirit award because it reminds me of how much I have overcome and achieved. I know that none of that would have been possible without the support of my family, Austin Can Academy, Capital IDEA, and most importantly, my faith in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

By the Grace of God, I overcame abuse and an addiction to drugs and alcohol. Growing up was a traumatic experience. My childhood included an unstable home environment filled with arguing and neglect. I experienced many forms of abuse at the hands of other family members, and all of this led to a lack of self-respect for myself and any sort of hope for a happy life. Then things got even more difficult.

At age 15, I took a pregnancy test, and it was positive. Add to that, my boyfriend of two years, the father of my child, split, and it was time for me to grow up. My mother enrolled me in Austin Can Academy to get my life together. Even though I was technically a sophomore going in, I had only earned two credits from my previous school because I was skipping school, getting high with my friends, and dealing dope with my ex-boyfriend. At Austin Can Academy, I had no choice but to get my crap together.

That first year as a pregnant teenager, I had little to no friends and pretty much stayed to myself and did my work. I was doing well, and about two years later, my old ways sucked me back in. I was about 17 when my addiction to marijuana and other hard substances, coupled with the stress of being a single mom, led to me dropping out of school. This was not the life I had hoped for. I wanted more for myself and my daughter. I wanted to graduate high school, and I wanted to make my parents proud.

A few months after I dropped out, I resolved that I would make it. I had to, not only for me but for my daughter. My mother took me back to Austin Can Academy, and to my surprise, I had 16 credits! I only needed eight credits to graduate, and even though I wasn’t a perfect student, I tried my best. The good news was that I wasn’t alone. Through programs offered at Navarro High School for teen moms and after-school evening classes, I earned my high school diploma at 19!

At this point in the story, I wish I could say that after receiving my diploma, my fairy Godmother appeared, and everything fell into place, but that would be a lie. That same year, I met my future husband. We moved in together, and I started working at a cell phone store. Unfortunately, we both had baggage and pain from our childhood and struggled with our own addictions. He drank, I smoked, and we fought all the time. It was abusive and toxic, and as a result, we also had two miscarriages.

In 2012, two years after I graduated high school, my sister invited me to a church program called Celebrate Recovery. This is a free program available to anyone seeking recovery from addiction. I attended their meetings, and I learned more about addiction and how it affects people in all areas of their lives. I was now pregnant with my second child, and I decided to try and get sober with the help of a CR support group and their 12-step program.

Years later, in 2015, while I was still in the CR program, I met a young woman at my church, and we began to talk. I shared with her my dream of becoming a nurse, and she recommended that I look up a program called Capital IDEA. She said they were currently paying for her education at Austin Community College! It sounded too good to be true. I thought to myself, how am I going to go back to school after all these years, and now I have three kids?

Following this encounter, I remember attending a women’s conference, and the guest speaker spoke about living in “the land of milk and honey.” She said that before we could make it to our own “land of milk and honey,” we must first face our fears. Then she posed these questions: what is your land of milk and honey, and what are you afraid of?

I realized that the first step to getting to my “land of milk and honey” was attending an orientation session at Capital IDEA and learning more about their programs. Much to my dismay, they did not have funding that year for childcare, and they recommended that I try again in the future. I admit that I was discouraged, but I didn’t lose hope! I had a relationship with the Lord and a support system that continued to spur me on. I thought to myself, “that’s ok, maybe it’s not the right season…” but I had a resolve within me; I will go back to school, and I will be a nurse! Of course, I had other thoughts, like “but what if I fail? But what if I don’t make it? But what if I’m not smart enough? What if I’m not good enough? The list goes on and on.

Despite all my fears, I thought, “I must try. If I don’t try and reach my dreams, I will not die in peace!!” It sounds funny (and a bit dramatic looking back at it now), but it’s true! The thought of becoming old and gray and not even trying to reach my goal in life made me so sad.

In 2016, I attended another Capital IDEA info session, and by the Grace of God, they had funding for childcare! At this point in my life, I lived in my mom’s house with my husband, our three kids, my sister, her husband, and their four kids (it was crazy and chaotic, literally). I spoke to my husband and my mom, and they encouraged me to give it a go. I applied and qualified for their program and began school after seven long years in the Spring of 2017.

I was not alone on this journey. I had a Career Navigator that held my hand every step of the way. They believed in me. They told me what to do, who to speak with, which classes to apply for, and more. Since Capital IDEA was paying for mostly everything, I could keep the money I got through financial aid. It really did seem too good to be true, but it wasn’t, and my dream of being a college student was coming true. And as much as I’d love to tell you that now my fairy Godmother came and finally made life easy, that would be a lie too.

College wasn’t easy. I was never a great high school student, and college was even more challenging. I didn’t pass every semester, and I didn’t get straight A’s. I had many setbacks: I lost my beloved dog, Cha-Cha, I had another kid, and I was diagnosed with PTSD from all of my childhood trauma. With obstacles piling up, it was hard not to get discouraged, so it became more and more important for me to prioritize. I had to be intentional every single day about making the right decisions for myself and my future. I attended church and my Celebrate Recovery groups, focused on my studies, stayed true to my sobriety, and built up my support system. And it paid off.

On December 13, 2021, I graduated with my Associate’s Degree in Nursing. On February 7th, I started my dream job as a Medical Surgical Nurse on the 5th floor of Seton Main, one of the Largest Hospitals in Austin, TX! My dream had come true! As I sit back and reflect on my life, I can remember when I was a student in high school, and I never dreamed that I would ever make it this far. I used to be a troubled teen who couldn’t seem to get it together, and my parents were far from proud. And now, my entire family is proud of me.

I am so grateful to everyone who supported me along the way because I know that I couldn’t have done this alone. I want to thank my family, especially my mom, my husband, Santiago Valle, and my kids, Abigail, Joshua, Katherine, and Santiago Santamaria. They all had to sacrifice so much for me to get where I am, and without their support at home, I don’t know how I would’ve done this.

I’m also so grateful for Austin Can Academy, which gave me a second chance at getting a high school diploma. Then my Celebrate Recovery family ultimately gave me the strength and courage to participate in the beautiful and life-giving program of Capital IDEA. Capital IDEA provided me with financial and emotional support as I continued this long and arduous journey. They gave me an opportunity to step out of poverty and transform my future and the lives of my family forever.

Think about that for a moment, my destiny was forever changed because of the opportunity they provided!

And it’s because of that opportunity I can do something I love and am passionate about, which is helping others. As a nurse, I’ll have the chance to help others at the hospital. I was also recently invited to speak at my old school, Austin Can Academy, where I shared my story with other students, hopefully inspiring them to pursue their dreams. And I want to do more! In the future, I’d like to be a part of a program or help create programs for individuals who need assistance with affording healthcare and also programs for behavioral health issues like recovering from addiction. I’m not sure what it will all look like, but my goal is to use everything I have learned, and will learn, in the nursing field to help others, just like so many have helped me.

I’m receiving this award not because I did anything by myself. It’s because of all the people who helped me get here. If I could go back and speak to myself at a young age, I would say, “Hey you, you are doing the best you can. Hold your head up high and never give up. Don’t be afraid to own your mistakes and take responsibility for your own actions. Then, find a group of people who are willing to do life with you and support you.” That’s the message I want to leave you with today. Thank you.

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Going to college can be a challenge, but you don’t have to do it alone. Sign up for an info session to learn more about the extensive support you can receive through the Career Expressway program. LEARN MORE »

Hammurabi (left) sits down with Capital IDEA alum Heriberto Gonzales (right).

Hammurabi Bueno doesn’t like sitting still. Landing a desk job was never a dream of his. “I’m a person that likes to be hands-on and build things.” Of the many careers sponsored by Capital IDEA, power technology seemed like the natural fit for someone like him. “I have always been interested in electrical things and putting things together.” As a power technician, he could be traveling around, physically active, working in the electronics field that captured his interest, and still earning a great salary, provided he had the right degree.  But even knowing that opportunities existed, Hammurabi still hesitated to go directly to college out of high school.

Hammurabi was the middle child. He grew up in a household with a single mother and two sisters and placed a high value on helping his family financially. That led to him working at a local grocery store as a stocker in high school. After graduating from Lanier High School in 2016, he continued to work at the store not knowing if or when college would be in his future. His mom always believed in the value of education but knew it would be difficult. “My mom was a single mom with three kids. It would be costly to send the three of us to college.” So, Hammurabi chose to keep working.

Six months later, things changed. Hammurabi knew he had to try to go to college if he wanted to make enough money for himself and his family. Thankfully, he remembered a presentation at his high school about a program called Capital IDEA. This program would help him go to college for free, which was exactly what he needed. He attended an information session, applied, and got accepted into Capital IDEA’s Career Expressway program.

Hammurabi continued helping his family by keeping his full-time job at the grocery store while enrolling in college full-time as well. Even though he’d done well in high school, college proved to be more stressful. Between a full-time job and demanding courses, balancing everything became too much. “Halfway through my degree, keeping up with my studies and work became an issue. I didn’t have any time to myself.” He had a tough choice to make, should he prioritize school or work? Hammurabi chose school, left his job, and flew through the rest of his degree program, graduating with his associate of applied science in Power Electric Utility Technologies in two years.

After graduation, Hammurabi set out on his first professional job hunt. He was qualified and ready but finding an entry-level position in the power technology field proved difficult. Thankfully, the Career Expressway program included job placement assistance. Capital IDEA’s Employment Coordinator, Ron Modesty helped Hammurabi with resume building and finding leads, and Suzanne Baker, Capital IDEA Alumni and Student Engagement Coordinator, connected him with alum, Heriberto Gonzalez. Heriberto was coming up on two decades of experience in the power technology field, and he sat down with Hammurabi (pictured above) to offer him advice and encouragement including tips on where to look for jobs and which ones to take. A few months later, Hammurabi landed a job with Lonestar Communications.

Today, Hammurabi is moving up at Lonestar. After two years at the company, he is now a Lead Technician responsible for training others to pull cable in hospitals and schools for their PA and intercom systems. He is also a part of a career ladder program the company just started that offers classes for individuals who want to move up the ranks. His goal is to “grow as much as I can and move up within the company,” but if his opportunities dry up there, “I’ll find a company where I can advance further,” he says. Because, again, Hammurabi is not one to sit still.

As Hammurabi continues to move forward in his career, he’s still thinking of his family. When asked what was most meaningful about the support he got from Capital IDEA, he notes. “Having free tuition really helped my mom, and I am grateful for that.” The degree he earned has opened doors, and he can see that it’s leading him towards a brighter future, which is why he advises anyone unsure or hesitant about going to college to “at least try it out because if you want a good career, college is there to help you get it. There’s always a way to fix any issues that come up.”

Are you someone who is hesitant about going to college? Sometimes you just need to try it out. You have nothing to lose and an excellent career to gain. Sign up for an info session to learn more about our career offerings. LEARN MORE »

From early on, Stephanie Mbulu had the heart to help others. “My mother would joke that I came out of the womb wanting to help people,” but it wasn’t until the second grade, when her mother was in a car accident, that her desire to help would become a calling. That experience, and the care her family received from the nurses, was imprinted on her heart, and “I knew then that God had instilled in me this desire to be a nurse,” but the road to get there took many twists and turns.

Right after high school, Stephanie enrolled in college with her sights set on nursing school. In her first semester, she started dating someone and found out she was pregnant shortly before the relationship turned sour. It escalated into a physically abusive relationship, and she realized she had to get out before it was too late. When she turned to her family, the bedrock of support she thought she could always rely on, they gave her an ultimatum.

“I’m Nigerian. I grew up in an African household with immigrant parents who came to this country to get an education and work hard for their family.” Stephanie’s family is steeped in cultural values. One of these values is a priority for women to get married. Having a child out of wedlock was considered hugely disrespectful to her mother and the family. She had a choice. Give up her child before he was born or lose the support of her family. She chose her child, a son she named Kamani, and mother and son were left alone to fend for themselves.

Stephanie left community college to earn her credentials as a Medical Assistant, which was as close to her dream of being a nurse as she could get under the circumstances. In her new job, she worked tirelessly to provide for her child, making the best of the unexpected twists her life had taken. Little did she know, an opportunity was about to present itself that would change her life.

“I was working at an OBGYN clinic when I met a nurse who was a Capital IDEA graduate. She knew I wanted to pursue nursing and told me to check out the program. To be honest, Capital IDEA sounded too good to be true, but after attending an information meeting, I realized that they were the real deal.” After going through the application process, Stephanie was accepted into the Career Expressway program. She now had the support system she needed to make her dreams come true. “When I got accepted, it was such a big sigh of relief. And now I believed I could do this. Now I believed I could go all the way and get my nursing degree.”

Even with Capital IDEA’s support, Stephanie knew it would take a lot of hard work and sacrifice to finish nursing school. Without family to rely on, Stephanie had to get creative with childcare. “For single moms, you have to come up with a plan. Without the help of my family, I relied a lot on my friends. One would say they could only watch him till 11:00 am, and another would say they could pick him up and watch them until 3:00 pm. So I would pick him up at 3:30 after clinicals. And each day of the week, I had to make a different plan, but I was determined to do this.”

Little to no sleep became routine for Stephanie during this time. After putting her son to bed, she would stay up late to finish her studying and schoolwork. But all that sacrifice and hard work paid off when she graduated with her Associate’s Degree. She even managed to pass the NCLEX,  the notoriously difficult nurse licensing exam, on the first try! And shortly thereafter, “it was like a dream come true” when she was hired at Ascension Seton Medical Center Main as an Operating Room Circulating Nurse.

Graduation meant more for Stephanie than just a degree. It meant a better job and a better life for her and her son, who is now eleven years old. And it presented an opportunity for reconciliation with some of her family when they saw everything she had accomplished. Just as life was heading in the right direction, Stephanie’s faith and resolve were tested once again.

About a year into her new job, a pandemic swept across the globe, upending life in a way most people had never experienced. By March of 2020, COVID-19 had become so widespread in the United States it was shutting down businesses and overwhelming hospitals. “It was frightening, especially being a new nurse. It felt like the world was on my shoulders, a very trying time. I worked more hours and days than normal, and in a very short time, I got burned out.” Her front-line work meant she had to distance herself from her son. “Kamani has asthma. I didn’t get to see him except through FaceTime. Being away from your child for almost two months is not a very good feeling at all.” As testing improved and vaccines became available, Stephanie reunited with her son, still maintaining strict cleaning protocols. “I used the same type of wipes we use at work to wipe down everything! I wiped shoes, the car, the shower, everything! The entire year he managed to be safe, and all of that couldn’t have been done without God.”

Through it all, helping others continued to be a hallmark of who Stephanie is, whether she’s serving as a nurse or a role model. “I worked hard to make my dreams come true, and I want to be a guide to others. I gave my brother the motivation to go to medical school, and I have set a different standard with my family.”

Today, Stephanie continues to love her career as a nurse, and despite the pandemic, she knows she’s in the right career. “This was a very trying time, but in retrospect, it has been very rewarding. We got to be there and help people feel better and reassure people who had to come in for essential surgeries that they would be safe and taken care of.” And even though conditions continue to improve, nurses are still feeling the strain. “It’s so vital that we get more nurses trained and out in the field. Currently, nurses are working overtime, switching shifts, floated to other units, and are getting burned out. We need help!” This help cannot arrive soon enough for nurses like Stephanie. “New nurses coming in are going to be nervous and scared, but we’re here to support them.”

Capital IDEA is currently supporting hundreds of future nurses just like we supported Stephanie, and we have room for even more. From acceptance to graduation, we guide students through training and education in essential fields like healthcare, technology, and trades, so that they can fill a critical need in our community for caring and skilled professionals. If you’re ready for a new career and could make good use of a FREE education, we invite you to LEARN MORE »

It takes incredible strength to start over and build a new life. Khaibar Rahimy and his family emigrated from Afghanistan about four and a half years ago. In Afghanistan, he was a degreed professional, a civil engineer. His skills allowed him to work with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and his work as an ally gave him the opportunity to move to the U.S. on a special visa with his family.

Moving to the U.S. was a bit of a mixed bag for Khaibar. On the one hand, the move provided safety and security for his family and better opportunities for his kids. On the other, it wasn’t easy to start over. Even though he had the experience and a degree as an engineer, the U.S. does not fully recognize degrees and credentials from many other countries. This meant Khaibar was technically not qualified to be an engineer in his new home country. If he wanted to re-enter his field, he’d have to re-earn his credentials.

Starting over can be a debilitating endeavor for many people. Khaibar was used to the work and title of a civil engineer. His expertise was once considered valuable by the United States Army and others in his home country. And now, without the validation of his credentials, he had to take a low-paying job as a security guard to make ends meet for his family. This brought Khaibar to a low point in his life. “I was living with no purpose and no aim. I was just passing the time feeling like I had lost something.”

Fortunately for Khaibar, through Caritas of Austin, the organization that helped his family resettle in the United States, he was introduced to Capital IDEA. “When I heard about Capital IDEA, I found the motivation to get my degree because I knew it would give me more opportunities in life not only to support my family but also to improve my education.” Working full-time as a security guard provided barely enough for his family, so paying for college was out of the question. Capital IDEA paid for Khaibar’s tuition and textbooks so he could earn his degree. But Khaibar needed more than financial support.

“It was hard at first going to school. My English was weak,” Khaibar says, but his Career Navigator, Suzanne Baker, helped to enroll him in the English as a Second Language classes (ESL). “Suzanne gave me the motivation I needed. She gave me hope with ESL classes and helping me take care of all the forms I needed.” With Capital IDEA’s support in place, the rest was up to Khaibar.

It wasn’t easy. “For a long time, I was very sleepless.” He worked an overnight, eight-hour shift as a security guard, getting off at 7 am. He got about two to three hours of sleep, and then he woke up to help his family get their day started, driving them to appointments and running errands. On a good day, he would catch an extra hour or two of sleep before heading off to class, and somewhere in between, he managed to stay caught up with his homework.

The sleeplessness paid off. Khaibar graduated with his Associate’s Degree in Computer Aided Design(CAD) – Civil Specialization, from Austin Community College. “Now I sleep eight hours every night!” He landed a job at Bleyl Engineering and is working towards his Master’s Degree at the University of Texas in San Antonio. His new job affords him the ability to provide for his family financially, and his new sleep schedule allows him to be less tired and more present for them.

Starting over wasn’t easy for Khaibar. When asked what was most meaningful about the support he received from Capital IDEA, he responded: “If I were by myself, I wouldn’t have been able to complete my goal. Capital IDEA advisors gave me the hope that I wasn’t alone. They helped me, and they called to check on me. No matter how difficult it got, I knew I wasn’t alone.”

Are you starting over? You don’t need to do it alone. With the support from Capital IDEA you can overcome the obstacles preventing you from earning your degree and getting the job you’ve always wanted. Sign up for an info session today.

College isn’t for everybody, right? Some people should go, but others just aren’t cut out for it. That’s the conclusion Skyler Coffman arrived at when his first attempt at college didn’t pan out. But Skyler is now a college graduate with a great job. As a Senior Ops Technical Support Specialist at VISA, he earns enough to cover all of his own living expenses and pay for his upcoming wedding and honeymoon. Once he’s married, his next goal will be to buy a home. So, what changed? How did Skyler go from counting himself out to having the confidence to give college another try?

After high school, Skyler enrolled in college. He knew it was the proverbial next step, but he wasn’t sure what he wanted to study. He’d been a C student at best in high school, and it carried over into his first year in college where poor grades just won’t cut it. “It got to the point where the dean called me in and informed me that if my grades didn’t improve, I would have to leave. So at that point, I thought, ok, well, I guess college isn’t for me.”

For Skyler, it felt like his options were shrinking. If college wasn’t for him, he would have to find the best job open to him without a college degree. Then, hopefully, he’d still be able to support himself and the future family he knew he wanted. His first stop was in retail and sales, but it was a bad fit. It didn’t matter if he was on a sales floor or going door-to-door; sales was definitely not for him.

His next stop was a call center where he provided computer support. At first, it felt right. He loved helping people with computer and networking issues, but the demanding environment coupled with an exhausting call volume was overwhelming, and the stress got to him. The high-pressure customer service roles eroded his vision for his future and left Skyler in a depressed state. “Right before I went into Capital IDEA I was at the lowest point of my life. I remember going into IHOP with my fiancée and looking at the menu, worrying if I could afford anything. I didn’t have a lot of money, and I felt awful that I couldn’t even take my girlfriend out to dinner.”

But Skyler’s journey through the world of unsatisfying jobs had done something important — it had rekindled his joy of working with computers. This was the missing piece that had impeded his first attempt at college. He didn’t know what he wanted to do back then, and the lack of enthusiasm had shown up in his grades. Now Skyler remembered fondly playing with his dad’s old TI 99/4. He was sure he wanted to do something with computers which meant there was no way around it. He would have to give college another try.

The answer for how to pay for college came soon after. “My dad saw Capital IDEA in the newspaper and said, ‘Hey, you should try this.’ At first, I was skeptical. It says they pay for tuition and fees, books, and a parking permit. What’s the catch?” Skyler went to a CareerUp information session where he found out there was no catch. So, he applied and got accepted into the Career Expressway program. It was his second attempt at college, and this time it would be different.

“The first time, I wasn’t really sure of myself. When I finally decided to go back to college, I was older. I knew what career I wanted to pursue, and I had a girlfriend that I wanted to marry.” In addition to having a clear career goal and extra motivation, Skyler also now had the support of Capital IDEA. “Capital IDEA provided the guidance, and I didn’t feel like I was alone. The biggest thing is that they guide you through the whole process and support you through the challenges along the way.”

Skyler reenrolled in classes he’d failed before, but even with a new outlook and a new attitude, the grades didn’t come easy. “I struggled at first with the math classes, but I got a tutor that really helped me through it. Once I got to the classes that interested me, it became easier. When asked what advice he would give to someone who struggles with grades as he did, he said, “Don’t dwell on the negative. Instead, take a step back, see what works and what doesn’t, and seek out tutoring.”

As Skyler continued to grow in his understanding of network administration through his studies and internships, he realized that he could help others with the same struggles. The student community that surrounded him through Capital IDEA allowed him to do just that. “I became like a mentor and helped others with their work. Teaching others helped me understand the concepts better.” Getting to know other students also helped Skyler develop a network of colleagues in the IT world that he continues to benefit from.

With the support of Capital IDEA, the student community, his family, and his fiancée, Skyler graduated from Austin Community College in 2018 with his Associate’s Degree in Network Administration. Since then, he has earned six certificates and started working towards his bachelor’s degree. In the thirteen years that passed between his first attempt at college and his graduation, he went from wondering if he could afford to buy his fiancée anything on an IHOP menu to paying for their wedding, renting his own apartment, and putting a down payment on their honeymoon to Disneyworld. Skyler and his fiancée will be married in March 2022, and their future together is looking bright.

Capital IDEA is invested in the success of every student in the Career Expressway program. In addition to financial support, we provide services and resources to help students like Skyler make the grade and graduate. Skyler went from believing that college wasn’t for him to being less than a year away from his Bachelor’s Degree. He did it, and you can too. As Skyler would say, “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Find what you’re good at and lean into it.” Sign up for a CareerUp info session to learn more about the Career Expressway program.

Hello, my name is Jason Lopez. With the support of Capital IDEA, I graduated in 2019 from Austin Community College with a degree in LAN Network Administration. I came to college with developed perseverance and a motivation to succeed that I learned from my family. I needed to be a positive change for my family, and it was my responsibility for my future.

I am the only member of my family to attend college. I needed to be an example to my siblings. My parents made many sacrifices for us, and it was my responsibility to take advantage and flourish with the opportunities that I had.

I went to my local public elementary school and during my last year, I got the opportunity to apply to a magnet middle school where I got accepted and took advanced courses that I found exciting. Up until that point, being a part of the magnet program was one of the most challenging academic experiences that I’ve ever gone through.

After middle school, I applied for a similar magnet high school. Unfortunately, I did not pass my algebra proficiency in the entrance exam, so I had no choice but to continue with a regular public high school. Fortunately, the challenging courses in middle school made high school a lot easier for me.

During my childhood, I saw my parents struggle financially. Even though they are intelligent and hard workers, finding well-paid jobs was not easy because neither completed high school. During my teenage years, to my surprise, my parents divorced, which meant that my siblings and I had to live between two homes. Those experiences increased my resolve to help my family and be an example to others. I wanted to show that even though you did not grow up with the best of circumstances, you can still succeed if you are determined to look for opportunities. I knew education meant a solid foundation for my future. I wanted a growing career with excellent income opportunities. When it came to college, I knew that my parents could not afford to help me financially, so it was going to be up to me to support myself.

I was not following a high school academic track that would make me stand out to college recruiters for potential scholarships. One day in my high school college counselor’s classroom, we had a presentation from a speaker named Daniel Lopez. He was there to share about a good option besides going to a four-year university. He explained how Capital IDEA would pay 100% for tuition, fees, books, and tests for workforce careers that are in demand in our community. I realized that Capital IDEA supports you financially from start to finish, but they also only offer high-demand jobs so you can’t go wrong by picking any of their careers. That solves two of the biggest problems the majority of college graduates face: student debt and getting employed after graduating.

I listened with even more interest when he said that they even offer paid internship opportunities during your studies! I thought, “what do I stand to lose other than my time?” There was essentially no risk in getting support from Capital IDEA compared to a regular four-year degree so I signed up, and I am so happy and grateful that everything that they promised they would do was true!

James was my Navigator. His guidance helped me navigate through college, registering, signing up for classes, getting internships. Anything administratively was made very easy by Capital IDEA through James. Having a mentor while going through the college experience made me feel comfortable and gave me hope whenever I was going through demanding classes like the required math class I took when I started. It was definitely difficult, but I learned how to manage my time better and that helped me get through it. Once I started taking my career-related classes it got easier, and my interest grew. Throughout my journey I realized that challenges were simply opportunities to become better than before, this encouraged me a lot.

I have always been timid and an introvert. I needed to develop my social skills and connect with peers to succeed in my career. My navigator encouraged me to network, so I did, and I met a lot of like-minded individuals who were after the same career and education as me. My peers were very supportive of each other. Being a part of Capital IDEA felt like I had a whole community by my side.

I am grateful for the two internships I did while I was with Capital IDEA. It exposed me to professional work environments, and I had a job offer before I even graduated. I accepted the job offer and to this day I am an Enterprise Technical Support Specialist for Spectrum Enterprises. I am still studying for additional I.T. certifications to become a Network Engineer for my company.

I am honored to return the favor by mentoring other Capital IDEA students and alumni, and peers at my workplace. I am also graduating this coming semester with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Network Operations & Security from Western Governors University. I bought my first home at 21, a year after I started working full-time, and have grown my retirement investments since then.

I have deep gratitude to Capital IDEA and donors like the Sooch Foundation who invest in people like me. During my late teenage years, I began reading and listening to financial gurus like Robert Kiyosaki, Dave Ramsey, and Warren Buffet, and going forward, I would like to do what Capital IDEA does but focus on personal finance. I want to mentor and educate others on topics like how to build credit, the importance of investing at a young age, and how to manage debt. Financial education is as essential as a college education and flourishing in both areas is a powerful combination. This is the path out of poverty. To this day, I reflect on a T-shirt I received from Capital IDEA when I got started that says ‘Be Your Own Hero’. That is exactly what I did.

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Is it time for you to be your own hero? Contact us and let us help you reach your career goals.

Alpha Diallo’s life has been shaped by goals. Some he set for himself and others his parents set for the family. When he was 13, Alpha’s parents emigrated with him and his siblings from Guinea West Africa to France. Their primary goal was to escape dangerous circumstances and reach safety, but their next goals were more aspirational once that was achieved. Five years later, Alpha’s family arrived in the United States in search of more opportunities. His parents worked hard to provide a better life for them while prioritizing education for him and his siblings. Their continued emphasis on academic achievement has paid off.

“I wanted to be financially independent both for myself and my parents.” Alpha recalls setting this early personal goal and points to it as his motivation for seeking out his own opportunities. As the oldest, he knew that his parents could not afford to send him to college while also caring for his three younger siblings. He would have to find a way himself. Through a family friend, Alpha learned about Capital IDEA and the Career Expressway program. This was the opportunity he was looking for, and he was ready to take advantage of it.

Going to school was overwhelming. Alpha was committed to helping his family financially even while in school. He worked as a nurse aid, but while that provided him with significant experience in the healthcare field, it also complicated matters when figuring out class schedules and finding time to keep up with all of the classwork. In addition, Alpha had the challenge of language and cultural barriers to overcome. Shortly after he arrived in the United States, he started taking English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), which helped, but it felt like there was still a gap. “It was hard for the first year in college, especially when it came to writing papers and doing research for assignments.”

Thankfully, Alpha had the support and guidance of his Capital IDEA Career Navigator, Suzanne Baker. “I enjoyed getting together to assess my progress and was provided helpful hints to get better. The advice and encouragement to keep up the work the closer we got to the end was a big help.” With the support of his family and Capital IDEA, Alpha graduated with his Associate of Applied Science in Nursing from Austin Community College in 2015. But he wasn’t done.

After graduation, Alpha’s new goal was to earn a bachelor’s degree. He secured a position with Aveanna Healthcare as a home health nurse while also continuing his education. Four years later, he earned his Bachelor’s in Nursing Science from Texas Tech in 2019. And he’s still not done.

For Alpha and his family, education is essential and the key to upward mobility in life. “Education is definitely the way out of low-paying jobs, and I think it is important to pursue it when you have the opportunity to do so.” He and his parents are incredibly proud of his younger siblings who have all achieved master’s degrees in their respective fields, and now Alpha is hoping to do the same. His goal is to pursue a Master’s in Health Administration. But what comes after that?

For Alpha, achieving one goal is never an end — it’s an opportunity to think bigger. For his next big goal, “I would like to be a part of the decision-making body to help shape health administration and legislature.” Through his exposure to the professional world and his work with Capital IDEA’s Alumni Network, Alpha has come to appreciate the importance of leadership. We look forward to the impact he’ll have as a leader in the healthcare field and the community, and we’ll continue to cheer him on as he reaches for higher and higher goals.

Capital IDEA provides an opportunity for adults to earn a degree that will enable upward mobility for their lives.

When Juana Patino decided to go to college, she had no idea the kind of ripple effect it would have on her family. As of this post, three of the Patino siblings, Juana, Araceli, and Maria Laura, have all graduated from college with degrees in healthcare and IT. A fourth sister, Maria Rosa, is currently enrolled and expected to graduate in December of 2022. This month’s graduate spotlight features Juana and Araceli Patino, two sisters who struggled and worked hard to achieve their goals, and in doing so, set an example others in their family would follow.

Juana, the first of her siblings to attempt college, graduated from Austin Community College (ACC) as an LVN in 2013 and went on to earn her Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) in 2017. Today, she is a Registered Nurse with MGA Homecare. She chose a nursing career because she “wanted to do something meaningful for the world.” But to get there, she knew it would take a lot of hard work to overcome her challenges.

Juana grew up in Mexico and moved to the United States with her family in 2000. She graduated high school in 2006. As a single teen mom and the sole provider, she got a job immediately after high school. After a year working as a Wal-Mart cashier, she realized she would need a more substantial income to take care of herself and her son. She knew that meant going back to school. The question was, how was she going to pay for it?

Luckily, she remembered hearing about a program called Capital IDEA in high school. She applied and got accepted. As a student in Capital IDEA’s Career Expressway program, Juana’s tuition, books, and school supplies were covered. Capital IDEA also pointed her to other resources that helped her with gas, tutoring services, and childcare.

Relieved that paying for school was no longer an issue, Juana focused on the personal challenges that stood in her way. As the first person in her family to go to college, she had no idea what to expect. “I was nervous about going to college. I felt lost. I took things step by step, just thinking about what I had to do next.” Additionally, as a non-native English speaker, “I really struggled with medical terminology. I had to study harder than everybody else.” Thirdly, her responsibilities as a single mother weighed heavily on her as she strove to keep up with her studies.

Mid-way through the program, these and other personal struggles overwhelmed Juana to the point where she felt she needed to drop out. Thankfully, financial assistance was not the only thing she was getting from Capital IDEA. The extra guidance and encouragement from her Career Navigator was exactly what she needed during this difficult time. “My Navigator never gave up on me. She kept calling me. At one point, I was out for a whole year, and if it weren’t for her, I probably would have never come back.” Juana resumed her studies and finished her degree, setting an example for her younger sister Araceli to follow.

Araceli was accepted into the Career Expressway program in 2012, 5 years after Juana first enrolled, and graduated from ACC in 2017. She currently works for Brightstar Homehealth as a Registered Nurse. Although she had an example in her sister, her path to graduation was likewise difficult, and Araceli had her own obstacles to overcome.

After high school, Araceli had little direction. She enrolled at ACC taking general courses, but with no goal in mind, Araceli soon drifted away from college, opting instead to work multiple low-wage jobs in fast food, retail, and cleaning offices in the afternoon. When her sister Juana told her about Capital IDEA and encouraged her to think about a job in healthcare, Araceli took an interest. She earned a short-term credential and found a job as a certified nursing assistant (CNA). But it was her sister’s example that inspired her to keep going, and soon Araceli was back at ACC, this time with a definitive goal of earning her associate’s degree in nursing.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck and threatened to derail Araceli’s aspirations. During her first semester in the Career Expressway program, her husband traveled to Mexico to visit his mother for her birthday and went missing. The family searched for years, but he was never found. There are no words to convey the loss she felt. To compound matters, she was now a single parent with one income, trying to go to college full-time while raising her two-year-old son. The experience was overwhelming. “I pushed through during the fall semester, and then I took a semester off.”

In a fantastic display of strength and courage, Araceli returned the following summer semester. “I had to finish school. I had to provide for my son. And I also had to finish for my husband.” But going to college as a single parent was challenging. “I had to sacrifice time with my kid and work nights through the nursing program. It was really rough and very hard emotionally. I had to learn to spread my time.” Yet, Araceli stayed focused through it all, and now offers this advice to other single parents in college. “Don’t lose hope. There’s an end to the road. Everything you sacrifice, all your sleepless nights, and all your tiredness and stress and frustration, it’s going to pay off. I see it now.”

For Araceli, support made all of the difference. She had her family around her and Capital IDEA in her corner. “The most meaningful support I received from Capital IDEA was the emotional support I got from Sister Ane. She made me feel loved and supported. Even though she’s tough and pushes you, she always checked on me and reminded me that we were going to get through this.” When things got really rough, Sister Ane tapped into Capital IDEA’s emergency funds to provide a month of rent for Araceli and her son in addition to gift cards that helped her persevere by ensuring their basic needs were met. In the end, it all added up to Araceli getting to where she is today—working in a job she loves with the ability to provide for her son.

Both Juana and Araceli overcame struggles and worked tirelessly to get to where they are. For both of them, it’s not over. They have ambitions to go further, to pursue higher education in the nursing field. Juana aims to become a Nurse Anesthetist, and Araceli plans to get her Bachelor’s Degree in nursing. With the courage and determination they have already displayed in their lives, there is no doubt they will achieve these new goals and a lot more.

Meanwhile, the ripple effect continues in the Patino family. Two other sisters embraced the opportunity to earn college credentials, and their passion for education has reverberated down to their children. “I want to help my kids not settle,” Araceli says. After seeing their mothers go to college, they now believe they can too.

Juana and Araceli hope that their stories of struggle and overcoming challenges inspire others not to settle and to pursue their own success. Juana points to the importance of believing in yourself. “As long as you want to be successful, you’re going to be successful.” Araceli encourages others to keep their eye on the end goal and not to give up. “It may feel like it’s impossible, but it’s not. All the sacrifices will be worth it.”

If you or someone you know is interested in launching a new career, contact us, and let us help you overcome your challenges to reach your career goals.

Vision. Perseverance. Support. For Shirlet Oriakhi, these were the things that helped her achieve great things in her life. Inspired by her mother who had a gift for passing on wisdom and knowledge, Shirlet, from an early age, cultivated a vision for herself that included helping others through nursing or teaching. When the opportunity came up to be able to make both a reality, she was ready to seize it.

Shirlet Oriakhi is an Adjunct Professor in the Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) program at Austin Community College (ACC) and the Director of Nursing for LifeSpring Home Health. Shirlet loves teaching, and for that, she credits her mother. “My mom was always teaching me things. She was always asking me questions and making me think. Everything was a teachable moment for her.” For Shirlet, nursing and teaching weren’t career choices, they were callings, but for the longest time, she settled for working multiple jobs to make money. It was one job in particular that helped her realize she wouldn’t be happy as long as she wasn’t doing what she was called to do. She was working in the special crimes unit with the Department of Public Safety, but eventually, everything she saw was too much for her. “I saw a lot of criminal behaviors and things I didn’t like to see. I witnessed a lot of reports that were pretty graphic, and I knew that wasn’t what I wanted for the rest of my life. So, I decided to go to school.” She knew it was time for her to enroll in college, but finances were still a problem.

While attending classes, Shirlet came across a flyer for Capital IDEA. “These people pay for you to go to college?! What’s the catch?!” she recalls thinking. But she really needed the help. “So, I went to a meeting, and it was true!” Capital IDEA came at the perfect time in Shirlet’s life. “I had the vision, and I had the perseverance, but I didn’t have the financial support. My family was encouraging, but I needed the financial support.”

Capital IDEA paid for tuition, bought her books, and helped Shirlet finish college. In addition, they set a foundation for her continued success. For Shirlet, it was the combination of financial support along with confidence building that made all the difference. “The biggest struggle for me was believing I deserved to be in school, despite societal viewpoints of an African-American woman trying to advance herself. That was the biggest struggle—the emotional part.” She recalls people like her Career Navigator, Suzanne Baker, who consistently reminded her that she belonged in college and that she could do it. “After hearing it so much, you tend to believe it.”

After graduating with her Associate Degree in Nursing from ACC, Shirlet pursued her career in nursing. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and her Master of Science in Nursing with a focus on Executive Leadership and Administration, and eventually landed her job as the Director of Nursing for LifeSpring. While that job was satisfying, she never lost the vision she had to be a teacher, her second calling. One day she felt a strong desire pulling her back to ACC, to teach in the LVN program, but she knew her time was already stretched thin, so she decided not to pursue it at that time. Then one fateful evening, Shirlet reconnected with her former ACC professor, Sandra McCrary-Marshall, whom she hadn’t seen since graduating from the program. When she expressed her desire to teach at ACC, Professor McCleary-Marshall extended an invitation that seemed especially made just for her. “Here’s the kicker, she said: ‘Shirlet, I have a program that’s starting for evenings and weekends and I think you’ll be perfect.’” It was a teaching opportunity that fit perfectly with her work schedule. Thirty days later she was hired.

Shirlet has enjoyed every moment as an Adjunct Professor at ACC. Taking after her mother, she sees every opportunity as a teachable moment, which has helped especially during the current pandemic. “I’ve really been trying to keep people calm by educating them. I’ve been trying to keep them from being rattled and stressed out.” While she misses the interaction she used to have with her students, “with social distancing everyone is so stand-off-ish, the interaction is very limited,” she continues to live out her calling by educating people as a nurse and as a professor.

Today, Shirlet is living the vision she had for her life from an early age. She never imagined she could be both a nurse and a teacher. It wasn’t easy, but with perseverance, the right support, and a strong faith, she made it happen. This is the message she continues to inspire her students with: “Things that are in you, the desires you may have, they are there because you have the ability to do them. You just have to cultivate them with vision, perseverance, and support.”

Do you have a desire for a better career? Let us support you as you take the first step towards making that desire a reality. If you or someone you know is interested in launching a new career, contact us, and let’s see how far you can go.

“The only limits are the ones I create in my mind.” Teresa Garza proclaims these words as she remembers the long journey that brought her to where she is today. From academic probation to a college professor, she never imagined her career would lead her to academics. “I didn’t plan to be a teacher. It wasn’t in the cards.”

Teresa is a Professor and the Assistant Department Chair in the Radiology department at Austin Community College (ACC). She attended college immediately after high school but soon ended up on academic probation. “I wasn’t studying the thing that I enjoyed,” she says, and the lack of enthusiasm showed up in her grades. She took a break and started working at a women’s clothing store making less than $8 an hour. One day, she recalls thinking, “There has to be more to my life than picking up clothes off the floor.” In that very moment, she decided it was time to go back.

Paying tuition is challenging with an $8 an hour job. On top of that, she needed money for books and gas to drive to her classes. As luck would have it, a classmate introduced Teresa to Capital IDEA. “It sounded too good to be true.” Despite her misgivings, she attended an orientation, applied, and got accepted. “They gave me the chance. Once they gave me the chance, I took off running with it and haven’t stopped! Sometimes you just need one person to believe in you, just enough.”

After graduation, Teresa found a job at a local hospital where she spent a lot of her time teaching interns. “They seemed to just gravitate to me and would ask me if I ever thought about teaching.” She continued to dismiss the idea until she was contacted by her former professor who was looking to re-start the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) program at ACC. He asked if she would consider being a professor. Initially, Teresa declined the offer, but after two years of asking and continued encouragement from her interns, she eventually decided to give it a try. “In a weird way, I didn’t choose it. It chose me.” And she has never looked back.

Teresa has been teaching for 11 years now, and she enjoys every bit of it. This past year has presented her with new challenges. Teresa’s a people person, and it is this quality that led her into the teaching profession. The new social distancing protocols have created a lack of personal interaction with students. For an instructor used to making personal connections with her students, it’s been rough. “I feel like I don’t know them. I don’t know their personality type to be able to help them.”

In order to overcome these challenges, Teresa has employed creative methods to increase student interaction, albeit in a virtual space. She meets with a small group of students virtually every week to discuss any issues they might be having with their clinicals and in their personal lives. She’s hosted a few online game sessions outside the regular class times to cultivate some fun. And she’s also switched to doing lectures in a live format, rather than pre-recorded. This allows students to see her and interact verbally via their webcam and through the chat box.

Having been a student who once struggled herself, Teresa knows the importance of connecting with her students. She understands the incredible value of having the right support system because she had that in Capital IDEA. “They had everything I needed. Especially the accountability. That helped me a lot. I can’t thank Capital IDEA enough.”

Teresa’s passion for supporting students and making a difference in people’s lives extends beyond the classroom. In 2018, Teresa accepted the position of Alumni Representative to the Capital IDEA Board of Directors. Executive Director, Steve Jackobs, recalls, “When Teresa joined the Board, she brought a critically important voice. She knows from first-hand experience our students, education, and healthcare. Her passion and perspective are invaluable.” As a member of the Board, Teresa is able to provide leadership and vision to the ongoing operations of Capital IDEA and the students they serve. In addition, Teresa has become a spokesperson and advocate at various events to help raise funds and inspire the next generation of applicants.

Teresa continues to do all she can to help students achieve their dreams. Whether speaking as a professor, a board member, or a mentor, she continually reminds us all, “If you persevere and keep working towards your goals, you can achieve everything you’ve dreamed of.”

With perseverance and the right support, the possibilities are limitless for you too. Let us help you take the first step to what could be a great career. If you or someone you know is interested in launching a new career, contact us, and let’s see how far you can go.

The start of the 2020-21 school year is unlike anything we could have imagined. The classroom has been replaced by a computer screen, and schools are faced with new challenges as they try to create the best learning environment for their students. For teachers like Lori Lucas, adapting to a new mode of teaching has been a challenge, but overcoming challenges is nothing new to Lori.

Lori Lucas is an Associate Professor in the Professional Nursing Department at Austin Community College. Becoming a college professor was not something that Lori had in mind for herself. She’d been a dedicated stay at home mom, caring for her family, stretching a budget, and homeschooling her three children while her husband ran their family’s small business. But when their business started struggling, Lori and her husband realized they needed a second income to make ends meet.

After 16 years at home, Lori not only found it difficult to send her three kids off to school, she also struggled to find a job. Lori knew she needed more education and training in order to get a job that would pay enough to help support her family, but she doubted her abilities to do well in school. “I had no confidence. Growing up, no one ever looked me in the eye and told me I was smart. I always thought I was just not competent.” Thanks to the encouragement from a friend who pushed her and introduced her to Capital IDEA, Lori took the plunge.

At that time, Capital IDEA had a smaller presence in Williamson County, but as luck would have it, a volunteer-lead committee called the Whitlow Education Fund Task Force was hard at work. They were raising funds to expand support for Capital IDEA students from Williamson County. When the enrollment window opened up, Lori applied and was accepted. Capital IDEA was able to provide Lori with tuition, textbooks, and the support she needed to attend nursing school. “They paid for everything—including shoes! When you’re poor, shoes are a big deal.” Lori recalls, in a grateful tone. “It really, really, helped me. It was the most fundamental help I received, and it was so wonderful.”

Lori graduated from ACC with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing. After graduation, Lori was accepted into the St. David’s residency program for graduate nurses working in the emergency department where she became a trauma certified nurse. After years at St. David’s Lori was introduced to hospice care, where she was “forever hooked.” After acquiring her Bachelors of Science in Nursing and a certification in hospice and palliative care, she joined the team at Hospice Austin.

Lori continued her educational journey and earned a Master’s Degree in Nursing, which opened the door for her to become a professor at ACC. “Even before I obtained a job, I always gravitated to sharing information, and mentoring people is a treasure.” With her previous experience homeschooling her children, coupled with her passion for mentoring, teaching made sense. Today, Lori continues to work for Hospice Austin during the school breaks.

Lori credits a lot of her success to the people in her life. “My stories always go back to relationships. Like my friend who helped me. People matter. We matter to each other, and what we do influences one another.” One of those people was Sister Ane Nguyen. Sister Ane was Lori’s Career Navigator throughout her time as a student at ACC. “If I have had any success, it’s because of the support I received from Capital IDEA. Sister Ane had very high expectations for me, and I did not want to disappoint her.”

Lori knows the important role she plays in the lives of her students because she was once a student herself. She is all too familiar with the struggle to succeed and provides the best support she can to help, as friends, family, and Capital IDEA once did for her.

One of the best parts about Lori’s story is that Capital IDEA was only the beginning. Once she’d earned her associate’s degree, she had the confidence to keep going on her own, earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Today, Lori is pursuing her doctorate in Organizational Psychology.

Let us help you take the first step to what could be a great career. If you or someone you know is interested in launching a new career, contact us, and let’s see how far you can go.