Scinqula Partee is an example of what a girl can do when she puts her mind to it!

After her position with Extra Help Inc. was terminated in February 2023, Scinqula struggled to find steady employment. She “felt like there were no opportunities here,” and she went to countless job interviews, “getting laid off once the company’s peak season was over; dead end after dead end.” Scinqula was desperate, and she told her family that she would have to move to a different state to find “something consistent.”

When I met Scinqula for the first time, I knew she was a fighter. After she had to retake the math portion of an assessment test, I gave her a 30-day extension and provided her with online math resources. Scinqula called me about a week later and told me she was ready to face the challenge again. She passed the test, raising her grade level equivalent by three grades in only one week!

She told me that she would like to pursue CDL training. Commercial truck driving is not a traditional female job, even in today’s perception of gender equality in the professional field, and I felt apprehensive about her career choice. But Scinqula proved me wrong! She passed her tests with flying colors and completed the program ahead of some of her male fellow students. Moreover, a week after she earned her CDL, she received a job offer from Western Express. She went to Nashville, TN, and later to Chicago, IL, to add several proficiency endorsements to her CDL certification. Today, Scinqula is driving solo, having braved the weather and landscapes of 48 states over the past seven months. It is amazing to see her in the pictures she shares with me, operating an eighteen-wheel flatbed loaded with tons of valuable cargo.

But she does not stop there. She continues to grow professionally, adding more skills to her skill set. As Scinqula told me, she went to a Department of Motor Vehicles on her first day off to receive her endorsements for driving oil and fuel trucks. I hope that she has finally found her calling because with her determination, professionalism, and striving for perfection, she is an excellent asset to her company. She has inspired many of my WIOA participants, male and female alike, when I tell them about her experience and achievements. Her example is empowering girls and women in this country. Participants like Scinqula make this job rewarding and prove that sometimes a little help goes a long way.