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Family Situation
She is a new mother of a baby girl, with little help from family or the birth father. She left her foster home and currently lives with a past mentor. She hopes to win a place in affordable housing so she can live on her own with her daughter. Stumbling Blocks Being a single mother, without help from her family, makes it difficult for her to attend and complete training programs. The pressing need to earn money now can prevent her from investing in training and school, even though she knows it is important for her future. She has very little free time to learn new skills. Attitudes Toward School She is eager to learn, and proud that she managed to graduate with a high school degree while pregnant. She takes on new opportunities to learn, as long as she can get to the program, that means securing childcare and income. She enjoys connecting with the people around her, “I thought Hack the Hood would be boring, but the people make it good.” How Hack the Hood Helped Alia was connected to a mentor, Randy, who was also young when he became a parent. Randy could empathize and offer practical advice for being a working parent. Her mentor and the others in the program could help Alia see that starting out with entry-level jobs in Tech can be a stepping stone to a flourishing career. What the Videos Can Do to Help Videos can offer Alia a deeper understanding of how the Tech industry works, so that when she has a job interview she will appear knowledgeable and ready to get started. Videos about the different jobs in tech, and the skills that are needed to succeed, can help Alia plan her path forward. Videos that showcase skills that Alia can apply immediately will help her succeed in jobs that give her a chance to earn money and learn on the job. Video could be a way for Alia to stay connected to the friends and support she had during the Boot Camp. She thrived on the social aspects of the program, make sure she can continue to tap into this support. |