Saturday, March 30, 2024:
This is my first journal entry. I’m writing this entry because I want to memorialize the different ways that I am preparing for success. I’m very grateful that I have sponsorship to help me get to the next stage in my life. I wish that I would have invested more time while I was serving 22 years in prison. Unfortunately, I didn’t get this message until I was closer to the end of my journey.
In this program, I am learning to message that it’s never too early or too late to prepare for success. I got that message after I transitioned from prison to a halfway house. When I got there, I found a job at B-Line Transportation. Since I didn’t have a credential to drive a commercial vehicle, I had to take other jobs that were more entry-level. For example, I had to clean the bus, I had to empty the toilets, and I had to do anything that a supervisor requested.
As a result of my commitment to succeed, the team authorized me to receive a scholarship for $4,500. It led to my getting a credential. That credential helped me to increase my wage from $16 per hour to more than $20 per hour–which is about a 20 percent raise. That made a big difference in my life.
But I didn’t limit myself to only working the job. I also participated in the program that Prison Professors nonprofit made available, which allowed me to develop skills using the Linked In Learning Program. As a result, I started to develop proficiency with computers and applications and business knowledge. From that program, I got another scholarship that will allow me to earn credentials to become a licensed heavy equipment operator. Those skills will help me triple my income level.
What I am learning from this project is that success comes in incremental stages. We’ve got to sow seeds today for the success we want to build tomorrow.
I encourage you to follow along on my journey, as I will update this journal at least once each week. I am looking forward to beginning my new heavy equipment training on Monday, April 1, 2024.
