A Client Success Story - Kimberly White

Kimberly White is a single mother of three boys who dedicated her life to accomplishing the things that once seemed unattainable.

After her 10^th grade year in high school Kimberly dropped out due to the “lack of help and support [she] needed” to be successful. She found herself in an abusive relationship and it seemed as if there was no light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

Kimberly felt a tinge of empowerment when she was hired for her first job at a nationwide pizza chain.It was that initial feeling that gave her the courage to escape her abusive situation and find an organization able to help her pursue her High School Equivalency (HSE).

The first encounter Kimberly had with Mary Rigg was when she enrolled in the High School Equivalency program taught by Merindy Carpenter, a teacher contracted through Washington Township and works on-site at MRNC.Merindy was able to teach Kimberly the necessary skills needed to pass the HSE exam.On June 4^th, 2019, Kimberly walked the stage at Northview High School to receive her HSE Diploma.

But Kimberly’s story doesn’t stop there.After receiving her HSE diploma, she wanted to IVY Tech Community College as a nursing major but saw money as a barrier. Again, Kimberly was able to contact Merindy who connected her to an Employment Coach, Meaghan Owens, BSW.Meaghan shared information about the Bridges to Career Opportunities Program (BCO). Through BCO, Kimberly began her journey to becoming a profession in the healthcare field by enrolling into the Certified Nursing Assistant (CAN) program.

Kimberly began her CNA programing in February of 2019.She attended classes from Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm. She was then required to complete 75.5 hours of clinical training at a local senior care facility.Successfully, she was simultaneously working on both her HSE and CNA training, a feat not to be dismissed.

With continual help and support, something Kimberly was rarely afforded in her younger years, she has attained her HSE Diploma and successfully complete her vocational training through BCO to bridge her one step closer to her CNA certification.

Thanks to programs like BCO, stories like Kimberly’s happen every day. The continual support and funding ensures Mary Rigg’s role in the community as a leader for empowering adults through education and job training in Indianapolis.

For more information on receiving your own HSE Diploma, click here.

To learn how to support more students like Kimberly, click here.