“You have to be prepared, and you have to really want it. It’s not an easy program by any means … but the reward and the opportunities afterward are worth it.”
Lydia discovered Job Corps in 1995 while driving by a billboard in Fresno, Calif. She had, as she puts it, “limited options for finding a job and no means of paying for school.” Knowing she had a responsibility to her young son and to herself, she applied to the program.
At the Los Angeles Job Corps Center, she surrounded herself with other motivated students and learned to appreciate the center’s structure while completing thousands of hours of on-the-job experience. She met challenging instructors, learned tough lessons and collected valuable life skills that she now credits with her continued professional success.
“A work ethic was instilled in me at Job Corps,” she said. “It made me a better person, and it made me appreciate of all of the experiences that came afterward.”
“A work ethic was instilled in me at Job Corps,” she said. “It made me a better person, and it made me appreciate of all of the experiences that came afterward.”
In 1998, Lydia graduated from the Los Angeles Job Corps Center with her certification in Licensed Vocational Nursing. Since graduation, she has continued her education while working on the side.
Lydia is now the director of California Statewide Case Management for Medi-Cal Programs at Anthem Blue Cross, overseeing 90 employees and 2.2 million members throughout California. She is vital in ensuring that all Californians are connected to the care that they need and deserve.