SUCCESS STORIES
Paola Gallegos
For Paola Gallegos, the new year is looking especially bright. Thanks to her Lumity experience, she is considering a carpenters union apprenticeship as well as a paid training opportunity through the operating engineers union.
The life changes couldn’t come soon enough for 29-year-old Paola. When she suddenly became the sole provider for her four children, she realized the income she was earning in the medical field wouldn’t be enough for her young family. Her interest in real estate and construction led her to Lumity where she discovered a wide variety of careers through our Construction & Trades Pathways Pre-Apprenticeship program.
“My Lumity experience was empowering. I feel in control and ready to take on more.“
– Paola Gallegos
“I’ve loved learning the different trades and all of the different opportunities for women that I didn’t know about,” said Paola. “There’s more to the world out there. I felt trapped, but this experience opened my eyes.” She especially loved the hands-on experience. “I’d never used a drill or a power tool before, but there I was building a bench with my own hands. I could see that I could do it myself.”
Paola is grateful for the support she received along the way. “The instructors and counselors were great. There was always someone to guide me. They helped me find different resources within the community to solve any life trouble I might be having. They assisted with watching my kids so that I could complete my program and helped find funding to cover things like application fees.”
“It was empowering,” she explained. “When I started, I was in a place where I was vulnerable. I was low. I was a single mother of four. Learning that I could build things made me feel powerful and in control. I’ve learned that I do have it in me to do more with myself.”
Your donation can help change the future for more families like Paola’s. Thank you for helping make these success stories come to life.
