“To be honest,” starts Azyah Van Ness, “I never thought I would ever be here. I went to college, but due to homelessness and other circumstances, I wasn’t able to apply myself and failed out of school.”

After dropping out of school, Azyah began working as a caretaker. She didn’t have any certifications, so the pay was not very good.

“I was doing the work of a certified nursing assistant [CNA] but not getting paid enough for the work. I realized I needed to do better, so I searched for CNA programs, but I couldn’t afford any of them.

Then, she learned about Job Corps. A free technical training program for those who qualified. She jumped right in! The CNA program was perfect. Azyah realized she had a great passion for helping people in need.

“Lucky for me, I had my high school diploma, so I only had to focus on my trade. And in four weeks, I successfully finished the program. It wasn’t easy, but Job Corps helped me focus and stay grounded, and I believe that is why I finished my trade so quickly.”

A knee injury put a temporary halt to her career pursuits, but she quickly got back on track and finished advanced training at South Bronx Job Corps, earning certifications in phlebotomy and electrocardiogram (EKG).

Her next stop was Bronx Community College (BCC). Through South Bronx Job Corp’s advanced career training program, Azyah was able to enroll at BCC. Through hard work and dedication, she was recently accepted into the college’s nuclear medicine technology program!

“If it wasn’t for Job corps,” says Azyah, “I’m not sure if I would have this amazing opportunity I have to better myself and finally complete something I started.” 

Her advice to prospective students: “Ask for help. Job Corps is here to help you. They want to see you succeed, and they are very accommodating. This is an amazing program with amazing people. I appreciate Job Corps and the opportunity it’s given me.”