Still wondering what can LifeWorks do for you?  Check out LifeWorks Graduate Sonya Coleman’s story of perseverance, from extreme hardships to personal and professional triumph.

Sonya was a young single mother who dropped out of high school at the age of 15 to care for her first child. She was raised in a poor neighborhood by her great-grandmother, as her own

mother struggled with drugs and was only 15 when Sonya was born. Later in life, Sonya endured years of abuse from previous partners.

At 25 years old and working at Walmart, Sonya came to a realization, "all the good jobs require at least a high school diploma—if I had to go just one day a week, I’d eventually get there.” Within weeks, she earned her GED and was presented with an opportunity of a lifetime.

At the Head Start program at Frontline Outreach where her youngest son attended, one of the staff members gave Sonya an application for Jobs Partnership’s LifeWorks training course. “I was skeptical, but I had to step out on faith again. And once I started the classes I realized that God was a part of what The Jobs Partnership was doing.”

Sonya was paired with a Coach and attended the evening LifeWorks classes. “I enjoyed everything about it. Who would have thought that faith in God and work are combined? And I loved hearing the pastors teach, they opened my eyes to so many things,” says Sonya. “What stuck with me is if you don’t like your job, just be your best and strive for better. Respect your job, but also do something to get a better job.”

During the course, Sonya was connected to the health unit coordinator program funded by CareerSource. “The program was great because it helped pay my bills while I was attending the vocational training. I was in training Monday through Friday, attending LifeWorks each week, and continued working at Walmart one to two days a week. There is no way I could have survived going to school for that much time if it wasn’t paid.”

Upon completion of the program, Sonya was offered a job at Florida Hospital with double the pay plus full benefits, with advancement opportunities. “The pay was the most that I had ever made,” says Sonya. “I was able to move my kids into a safer place. I felt important and knew I had a purpose in my work—I had lives in my hands!”

Over the next ten years, Sonya endured hard times, but always remembered what her coach Patty Anderson from LifeWorks used to say, ‘You can do anything you want. Just hang in there for your kids, don’t give up.’ During this time her mother stepped up to help her with the kids and transportation so she could finish nursing school. “All I had to do was just walk, and The Jobs Partnership kept opening the doors. I was lost and they helped me find my way. I now have a passion for nursing—it’s my calling,” she says. “I never would have dreamed that I would be making $100,000 a year, and more to come. I know I’m truly blessed, and I’m just thankful to God and to The Jobs Partnership for doing so much for me.”

Sonya is a Registered Nurse at Florida Hospital and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree.

LifeWorks is an innovative training course for men and women who are stuck in their job, underemployed, or unemployed. It’s a unique kind of training that opens up a whole new world of career opportunities and connects you with the right people and resources that can help prepare you for what you were created to do. As you have read, lives can be changed with hard-work and the invaluable guidance and connections provided by LifeWorks!

Register Now. The deadline to sign up for classes is this Friday (Feb 17th), so apply here!