Success — Lives Transformed

Brandy Donde — A Single Mother Succeeds

In 1996, Brandy Donde was a young single mother of two on welfare that was looking for some kind of a break to improve her life. While researching opportunities, Brandy discovered the Center for Employment Training. To her delight, the CET Sobrato Center in San Jose, CA offered job training with an onsite childcare facility: the ideal learning center for herself and her family. She was excited about the possibilities of receiving an education in a relatively short time frame, as CET offered a variety of skills training programs that required less than one year of training. This was important because Brandy's goals were to quickly enter the work force and to get off welfare, permanently.

She enrolled in the Medical Administrative Assistant training program and her confidence immediately began to grow. At a recent Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) meeting at the CET Sobrato Center, Brandy spoke to the audience about her favorite CET instructor, Isabel Merle, and reflected, "Isabel helped me to build my self esteem by showing me the confidence she had in me and my ability to learn. She spent hours talking with me about my potential future." Brandy's newfound confidence began to change her life.

She acknowledged, "another benefit CET offers is that before you graduate from your program, Job Placement services are offered in the form of classroom training. This was very helpful to begin learning how my new skills would help me get a job." An example of how this works was when Brandy was attending one of her sessions at the Career Center, a representative from the Camino Medical Group, visited and spoke to the students. "I knew after hearing her speech that I wanted to work there," Brandy stated. After the Camino Medical Group reviewed her resume and she had a successful interview, she was hired in a "float" position; a perfect opportunity that allowed her to gain experience in a variety of departmental roles as a Medical Assistant.

After 4 years, Brandy joined the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, and based on her knowledge and experience, she was hired as a Medical Assistant in the Internal Medicine department. She endorsed, "I love the teamwork aspect of the company and really appreciate the benefits offered to me and my family." Since that time, she has excelled in her new position by becoming a State Certified Medical Assistant and a Preceptor. The Preceptor title allows her to educate, train and share her experiences with new Medical Assistants who have recently finished school and are at the beginning of their careers.

The CET program works! Brandy has successfully accomplished her goals of getting off welfare, making it on her own, and having a successful career. She is currently in the process of buying her first home, a condominium in San Jose, CA. Brandy also noted that the most exciting part of her journey is the pride she feels in having her children watch her continued growth and success as a mother and a career woman. Her long-term career plan is to return to school to become a Radiology Technician.

In closing, Brandy offered these touching remarks, "CET has changed my life and I am grateful. My children will have a better life because of the assistance and training I received at CET — the program has truly touched our lives."

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