“I just can’t say enough about how great this program is, what a great job it’s doing, and what an awesome impact it is making for the community and for Charlotte and the surrounding areas,” Cynthia Bey said. 

Cynthia has found a new career path following retirement from Corporate America.  

“I’m not used to sitting around in the house. I’m used to getting up, leaving and going,” Cynthia explained of how she was initially feeling during retirement.  

Referred by a friend who told her that Goodwill had career training programs, Cynthia first began her journey by taking a Microsoft Excel training course previously offered by the nonprofit. A month after completing that course, she enrolled in BankWork$, an eight-week intensive workforce services program delivered by Goodwill that gives people the skills, access and coaching needed to succeed and grow in banking careers. 

“I’ve always wanted to get into the banking industry. It always fascinated me how the bank really makes a difference. It’s like a staple in the community,” Cynthia said.  

Cynthia was able to learn a lot in a short amount of time from instructor, Chicarra Jones, who even shared real-life experiences of when she worked in the banking industry.  

With the course being in Charlotte, the nation’s second-largest banking city, participants also regularly learn from industry representatives from local banks like Bank of America, Wells Fargo and TD Bank. This hands-on training had led to the success of the program. 

Today, Cynthia is working as an Associate Personal Banker with Wells Fargo. She’s one of five participants hired by the financial institution from Goodwill Industries of Southern Piedmont’s BankWork$ program.  

“I enjoy helping people,” Cynthia Bey said. “I’ve always enjoyed helping people, which was one reason I thought if I go into the banking industry and in a position like this, that I could be there in the community again to be able to help those that need help,” she added. 

When taking one of Goodwill’s tuition-free training programs, participants are assigned an Employer Engagement Specialist and Career Navigator who help them with resumes, interviews and more.   

“When I first started, I had this long resume, about four pages. She helped me to break that down to two pages so people could see my qualifications and what I’ve done,” Cynthia explained when speaking of her Career Navigator, Angela Mercer. 

With her help, Cynthia landed the role with Wells Fargo just one month after graduation. 

Training programs like the one Cynthia took are available free of charge to the community, thanks to shopping and donating at Goodwill’s 36 retail locations and more than 40 donation sites, in addition to corporate, community and philanthropic donations. 

“People probably don’t realize what their donations are doing or what it permits other people to do, because I’ve donated to Goodwill, plenty of times. I’ve gone in and purchased from Goodwill, but I never really knew or thought about how my donations are helping someone or making opportunities available for others,” Cynthia said. 

Cynthia encourages others to support Goodwill, because she knows too well how the nonprofit can help people on their pathway to prosperity. She has two sons who also benefitted from the training programs offered at Goodwill. Most recently, her son Rodney graduated from the fifth cohort of BankWork$ and now works at Fifth Third Bank. 

If you would like to help fund Goodwill’s programs and services that we offer to the community free of charge – like the ones that helped Cynthia on her pathway to prosperity – consider dropping off your gently used donations at one of our locations or making a financial contribution.