This morning at the beautiful Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC, we were inspired by 42 of our Occupational Skills Training program students as they celebrated the completion of the program with a graduation ceremony.
Rev. Roderick Ewell, one of our career development specialists, offered words of encouragement and hope as the keynote speaker for the event. “You are someone’s role model, and whatever you do will affect someone else’s life,” Ewell said. “You have greatness inside of you, and your journey does not end today.”
Asha Toure, a graduate of our Banking & Customer Service Training program, was chosen to represent her class as a graduate speaker. Toure experienced a spinal cord injury after a car accident during her senior year of high school, which left her paralyzed from the waist down. “You can’t always control your circumstances, but you can control how you react to them,” she said. Her drive to push forward toward her goals had the room in tears. “Two days after the accident, I returned to school. I went to my prom, and I grabbed my walker and walked across that stage at graduation. It might have taken 5-10 minutes, but I did it.”
Friends and family gathered after the ceremony to enjoy refreshments and celebrate the accomplishments of our amazing graduates. “The best thing you can do is to tell others about Goodwill’s programs and how they can help!” said graduate Adolphus Hoggard, who represented the Construction Skills Training program. “Now, it is our time to shine. Let us shine by taking advantage of the opportunities we have!”
Click here for more photos from today’s ceremony.
If you or someone you know might be interested in one of our job training programs, be sure to check out opportunities on our website or call 704-372-3434.
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