Profiles of Success
Is there a student that you would like to see featured? Please let us know.Learn more about Career Pathways through the stories of our alumni.
Stephanie Reichenbach- Pharmacy Technician - Stephanie followed her dream of working in the healthcare field and sought out PCC's Pharmacy Technician program. Career Pathways Career Planning course helped her combine the skills learned in the Pharmacy program with effective job search strategies.
Laurita Castro- Administrative Support Specialist- Laurita decided to go back to school to gain competitive skills in the job market. She found not only a job, but a love for continuing education.
Nawal Eiwaz - VESL Food Service- When Nawal entered the Food Service Training, she had been in the United States a mere five months. She had been a nurse and a teacher in her native Iraq, but had yet to work in the U.S.
Lulit Haile - VESL Health Care - Lulit enrolled in the Healthcare Training with experience as a gas station manager in her native Eritrea. She also worked as a caregiver for a special needs child in the U.S. Her experience in these different work environments provided her an excellent starting point for a career in the healthcare field.
Anna Doan - VESL Office Skills - Anna enrolled in the Office Skills Training program with a diverse work history. She spent several years doing assembly work and working with machines and computers. She feels that the opportunity she had with Career Pathways opened new career opportunities for her.
Inna Lutsik - VESL Health Care - Inna enrolled in the Health Care Training with limited experience in the field. She worked hard in class and at her internship to learn the skills she would need to find entry-level employment in the health care field.
Zuriash Kere - VESL Food Service - Zuriash developed new skills in the VESL Food Service Training and is working and continuing to demonstrate her talents at the IKEA restaurant.
Jenny Tsang - VESL Health Care- Jenny gained confidence and experience in the Vocational ESL Health Care training and has joined a team of many other non-native and native English speakers at Providence St. Vincent in the sterile processing department.
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Manayesh Zewdu - VESL Direct Care Worker - Manayesh developed new skills and demonstrates strong compassion working as a caregiver. She is off to a good start with a solid career track in the medical field working at an Assisted Living Facility.
Chris Palmer - Computer Technology Support Specialist - After being laid-off Chris decided to follow his long-time goal of working in the computer industry. He enrolled in the Computer Tech Support Pathway and now he is a Help Desk Technician with a non-profit organization.
Irina Agarycheva - VESL Office Skills - Irina took her strong leadership skills learned as a Professional Athlete - and took her skills to help others to find strength through a social service agency in a program supporting victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual assault.
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Alan Avery - Computer Technology Support Specialist - “My life has been irrevocably changed for the better. It’s like the opposite of stepping off of a cliff. I have been abruptly propelled skyward. My current situation is a direct result of the training I received through the Career Pathways program.”
Lilya Yevseyeva - VESL Health Care - Lilya utilized her background in the Health Care field from her home country and bilingual skills to help raise awareness around health in the Russian Community and beyond.
Miron Ghebremichael - VESL Food Service - Miron brought her strong work ethic and desire to build a strong future for herself by working and taking classes toward her long term goal. She is utilizing what she learned about Food Service and meshing that with her long term goal of entering the Medical Field by working as a Dietary Aide at an Assisted Living Facility.
Mersha Kefeyalhu - HVAC- A career in the trades was appealing but since arriving in the United States she had concentrated on learning English and working to support her family.
Nedra Lindell - Accounting/Bookkeeping- “I am making twice as much as I was before I got my GED and into Career Pathways. I’ve been wanting to do accounting since I was 23, but I had two kids to raise..."
James Erickson - Computer Technology - James learned about the Portland Community College/Mt. Hood Community College Career Pathways Computer Support Technician training through the Dislocated Workers Program.
Frances Winston - Medical Coding- Frances already had some unique skills; she is tri-lingual, and had an on-call position for the past year, but was having difficulty finding stable employment.
Toni Hibler - Accounting/Bookkeeping- Toni discovered that she could get retrained using funds administered by the Dislocated Workers Project. She found herself drawn to accounting-bookkeeping.
Ed Palumbo - Pharmacy Technician- "If you've reached a decision to change career directions or simply recognize the necessity to survive in a changing job market, I recommend Career Pathways."
