Profile

24-year-old Michael Lane was facing hard times. He was living out of his car, jobless and unsure what to do next. Living on his own with a minimal support system, he spent a lot of his free time at his local YMCA, where he would shower and work out to decompress. There, he got connected to the H.I.R.E program and began receiving the support he didn’t even realize was possible.

Meet Wynde Bennett, a training funds coordinator with the Workforce Partnership. We asked Wynde about how her work has changed and what she enjoys doing in her free time.

The Knauss School of Business is a division of the University of San Diego (USD) that provides students with higher education as they earn their undergraduate and graduate degrees in business. They seek to create socially responsible leaders with a global mindset through academically rigorous, relevant and values-based education and research.

Jose Mendiola reached a point where he knew he had to change his life. After working with our partners at South Bay Community Services (SBCS), Jose obtained the financial and skill-building support he needed to land a higher-paying job in the career field he is passionate about.

Meet Thao Do! Thao is a program specialist working on our Construction Career Jumpstart program in our energy, construction and utilities sector. We asked Thao about a moment she’s proud of, what she likes about workforce development and how she spends

After years of exploring different jobs and never experiencing any true satisfaction, Emily Hennes became frustrated with her career. When faced with losing a previous position, she worried more about losing a stable income than the job itself. Her career pathway changed after receiving an email about one of our information & communication technology training programs.

Sarah Horowitz is a member of the marketing and communications team at the Workforce Partnership. This month we asked Sarah about her work, how she would spend a workforce development donation and how she spends her free time. 

Uche Uzo is currently working towards becoming a certified substance use disorder counselor. As a mother of three with a deployed husband, Uzo shares with us what it truly means to be of service to others.

Jamie Gardner, a Major in the Marine Corps Reserve, tells us about the importance of supporting veterans transition into civilian life, finding meaningful professions and more.

Meet Orlando Herández, a computer systems administrator on the Workforce Partnership’s information technologies (IT) team. This month, we asked Orlando about his daily work, a professional moment he’s proud of and what he likes best about his job.