From the Bottom to the Top
Creation Date: 02/12/2026
Program Details
Seana Hale, at the age of 35, had been approved for the WIOA Work Experience Program working at Shawnee Development Council, a nonprofit agency. In this job, Seana provided services to the CSBG (Community Services Block Grant) department, working on applications, answering the phone, and filing paperwork. Seana says she chose this job position “to be able to try something new in a field I wasn’t familiar with and to get the training I needed to thrive in an office setting.” Her supervisor says she is hardworking, independent, successful, and has always wanted to be a busy worker. Her performance evaluation from her supervisor states that she is above average in her willingness to follow instructions and average in all other categories: attendance, punctuality, interaction with others, work productivity, work initiative, and quality of work. Seana states that the work experience program helped her gain experience outside her comfort zone. It gave her confidence in a field she was not at all familiar with. It also gave her the background and skills she needed to be successful.
After successfully completing the Work Experience Program in 2025, she was hired right away by Shawnee Development in the WIOA Department as a Work Experience Coordinator. Three months later, she also took the position of a Career Planner. Seana states that the work experience program changed her life because she is less stressed, loves coming to work, loves working in community outreach, and feels like she has a purpose rather than just going through the motions.
Seana also wants to add, “You know most of my story. I’ve been to the absolute bottom, but I didn’t stop clawing, climbing, fighting, and growing until I made sure I was back at the top. With hard work and determination, anything is possible.” Seana also wants to extend her appreciation to the SDC WIOA Program, saying, “Thank you for giving me the chance and the opportunity to make my life more successful.”