Program Details

Kierra Hodges started as a student at the Hope Center Foundation in our Job Training and Economic Development program. When she entered the program, Kierra felt far from where she wanted to be in her career. She was still discovering the career pathway she wanted to explore. As a young woman with passions in dance, leadership, and caring for others, Kierra wanted to explore a path to get her closer to her lifelong dream of becoming a traveling nurse. The Hope Center Foundation invested in her career goals by placing her in a training program at the Chicago Instruction Center For Career Development in the Roseland community. After going through an 8-week intensive class, Kierra completed the training program and passed the National Phlebotomy Association exam -- officially receiving her state recognition as a Certified Phlebotomy Technician. Despite self-doubt, Kierra took leaps of faith to pursue her dreams and work passionately to get closer to her desired future. She applied to Chicago State University to begin her studies and make steps towards getting her nursing degree. After being accepted in August 2023, Kierra started her first day of college in September 2023 with a Global Diversity course. While embarking on a new journey as a college student, Kierra began her work-study as a Physical Therapist Assistant for the Chicago State University athletic department. The Hope Center Foundation was able to compensate Kierra for entering the healthcare field and compensate her for her work-based learning experiences. While closing out her semester, Kierra worked with Jessica Clark, the JTED Program Administrator, to work on her resume, apply for alternative job opportunities that would pull on her phlebotomy experience, and prepare for interviews. Moving into the second semester of her first year, Kierra accepted a full-time phlebotomist position at CSL Plasma that will allow her to pursue her nursing degree and progress in her career. It's been amazing to see her grow throughout her time at the Hope Center Foundation. Not only has her self-doubt decreased, but through her leadership roles in her extracurricular activities at her college, I've seen her organization, communication, and reliability skills grow.