STAR Foundation is a place where you can gain a better understanding of computers and you can become more of a positive person than you are now. I am here because I want to have a better life for me and my son, have a full time job and my own place and car. They teach you how to better yourself so you can achieve your dreams. You can decide what is right for yourself and reach out for the stars. I smile because I’m living and thankful for everything.

I was fired from a job where I had worked for 13 years. Although I thought I was a pretty good person, getting fired was devastating. STAR put a mirror in front of me so I could see what a really worthwhile person I was. I had no computer skills at all but gained the confidence I needed to actually apply and interview for jobs where I would need this. I met some great women whom I came to love and think very highly of. They are my friends, and we laughed together and helped each other.

STAR Foundation opened my eyes and my heart. The teachers there helped me get to the first rung of a very tall ladder, and I know they will continue to be supportive every step of the way. They believed in me. I found my internal glow—my drive—and my confidence to go out into the world with my head held high and a smile on my face.

Before I came into this program I was lost and didn’t know how to get out of my situation. I am very thankful that the teachers at the STAR Foundation cared enough to see the good in me. They took the time to listen, to talk, and to teach me that there are rules in life and they showed me that I can exceed expectations if I want it badly enough.

At STAR, I started a new chapter along with a new journey. I had wanted to work for SEPA (Southeastern Pathology Associates) even before I took the STAR class and am now employed there as a Lab Technician.

The most important thing I have learned at STAR is how to set your goals and achieve them. After being unemployed for more than a year, I am now working at the Southeast Georgia Health System’s Senior Care Center. I plan to go to the College of Coastal Georgia in 2014 to get a degree in Criminal Justice.