Jordan Coley says she was just in the right place at the right time. She had spent a brief time with Safer Foundation, a non-profit focused on development of those with a criminal record, when her mother saw a Facebook post advertising free vocational classes at a school in Roseland. She called the number on the ad on a Thursday and was brought in for orientation the next Monday. She calls her time at the school "character building" and appreciated the challenge of honing in on a new skill, even on the days she "wanted to throw the tools" or had to do work again and again with instructors who demanded perfection. That demand for perfection and hearing instructors say "do it again!" proved to be useful in the future, moving both Coley and other students toward something bigger in life. Her skill set and trade knowledge have leveled the playing field for her in the job force, particularly as a black woman. She mentions that she has "not yet heard a "no", even as someone who was previously incarcerated." She now works as a maintenance technician, and considers it a privilege to have been a part of the last class taught by Roger Hommes. When asked what she'd most like to share about her time at the Outreach Career Center, Coley says "from day one, you are gaining more than you could lose."
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