Winter Advancement Ceremony

On Thursday, February 2, 2023, we were thrilled to welcome friends and family to celebrate the successes and milestone achievements of program graduates at our Winter Advancement Ceremony. Pictured above are young adults who entered the Career Builder Stage of Hope Builders’ Student Journey proudly represented on the stage at the Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse. After successfully completing training in Construction or Healthcare, they demonstrated workforce readiness—the skills and behaviors needed to enter the workforce— and have been linked to career pathway jobs with local employers.

Among those asked to represent their peers by speaking about their accomplishments that night was Katie A. As you may recall from her previous spotlight, Katie joined Hope Builders in early 2022. After completing the program, Hope Builders Career Connections (HBCC) connected Katie to a position at A.J. Kirkwood & Associates (AJK) in June. With the same thirst for knowledge and drive to succeed that she demonstrated in training, Katie continues to impress her colleagues at AJK. Inspired by her foreman and desire to follow in their footsteps, she recently began the pursuit of her drone pilot license with a local community clinic.

When reflecting on the Advancement Ceremony, she commented, “I truly hope that my fellow cohort members and I can continue to stay connected over time. It’s so helpful to have a community of people who understand what you’re working to accomplish and who you can share your thoughts and experiences with and learn from.”

She also shared how she continues to bring the training and lessons learned while at Hope Builders to her job site every day. While Katie was at Hope Builders, she was presented with the opportunity to attend the Women in Construction Conference which proved to be an invaluable experience.

“Now that I’m in the field on a day-to-day basis, I realize how important all the lessons I learned at Hope Builders were. I’m especially grateful for the opportunity to attend a conference with NAWIC and to meet and gain wisdom from other women in construction. The strength of those women continues to inspire me to persevere and grow in the trades.”

Congratulations again to Katie and all our young adults who we celebrated that night. We’re excited for your bright futures ahead!