Jennifer Balmes – Latin American Youth Center-Maryland Multicultural Youth Centers (LAYC-MMYC) - Success Story - Workforce Development and Adult Learning
Jennifer is a former Latin American Youth Center-Maryland Multicultural Youth Centers (LAYC-MMYC) participant. Jennifer came to the LAYC/MMYC Workforce Development Program at the Prince George’s County site in 2019 and was facing multiple barriers when she joined the program.
Prior to joining the program, Jennifer was living by herself and working at McDonald’s. In 2017, she found out that she was pregnant and focused on her pregnancy. She later assumed the responsibility to take care of her newborn and her mother while on maternity leave. Although Jennifer had hopes of going back to school after giving birth to her daughter, she was unable to do so. She was facing multiple challenges and a second pregnancy a year after. She would work five days and sometimes would even take double shifts at work to make ends meet. Jennifer noticed that she was too busy working and worrying about making more money to provide for her kids. At that point, she knew that she had to go back to school and get her GED® to be able to pursue a career.
Jennifer joined the program in 2019 and regularly attended the GED® education class. She was so focused on obtaining her GED®; she passed all the GED® exams during her first attempt. Jennifer was so happy when she took her last test and got her results back. She adds, “I was crying with tears of joy because I could not believe that I actually did it, even with all the distractions of being a single mother of two kids, working, and to top it off I was doing driving school at the same time. It was definitely a huge task to take on, but I could not have achieved it if it weren’t for LAYC staff members who assisted me with what they could have and allowed me to bring my children to school with me, and of course thanks to God.”
After GED® graduation, Jennifer applied to different jobs. She now knew she could finally say “yes” to the question “Do you have a high school diploma or GED®?” She applied for a job at Lionel Henderson. She shared that “I had been applying to work at that company since 2017. On October 8, 2019, literally on my 21st birthday, and just one month before my son turned one year old, I finally got the news that I was a potential candidate. I had gotten an email from the Lionel Henderson HR wanting to know more about me and wanted to schedule me for an interview.” Jennifer is a true example of perseverance and determination.
Jennifer is a testament of success and true grit. She successfully completed her GED® in a span of three months and is now a FEMA subcontractor. Jennifer continues to be an inspiration for the youth in the program and her family.