[March 2009]

There comes a time in every young person's life when they have to seize the opportunity to forge their own independent way in the world before that opportunity passes. It is a time when pondering what you want to be when you are an adult is over and only choosing a road to follow is left.

Chelsea Adams found herself at this decision point when she had to leave Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College (SKCTC) at Cumberland after only a couple of semesters to have a child. After a year off she was determined to find a way to make a good, self-sufficient life for her new family, she said.

"I depended on everybody else my whole life and I wanted to depend on myself for once," Chelsea said. "I just thought it was time to grow up."

But the Lynch woman was not sure how she was going to do this with a child to take care of and none of the education she needed to find a good job. She needed one last helping hand to lift her toward the independence she wanted.

Fortunately, friends told Chelsea about the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Program offered by the Harlan County Community Action Agency (HCCAA).

The program guided and supported Chelsea and with lots of hard work she finished college. Now the 23-year-old has a rewarding job working in the human services and counseling field, helping troubled women overcome drug addiction at the Cumberland Hope Community residential treatment center.

"WIA was a very good resource," she said. "I helped me a lot during this time because it helped me find childcare, find employment and pay for school."

HCCAA delivers WIA programs in Harlan County under contract with Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP). The HCCAA also operates access points in Harlan and Cumberland for the JobSight Network, a collaborative partnership of workforce and training agencies administered by EKCEP in 23 eastern Kentucky counties.

Chelsea, a Cumberland High School graduate, knew that she wanted to enter the human services and counseling field. But she also wanted to continue to live in Harlan County.

"I knew in my heart I wouldn't be any happier doing anything else," she said. "And this is home for me and I wanted to stay here. If there weren't any job opportunities for me here, I was just going to have to make some."

Chelsea's passion was understood by the HCCAA staff members who worked with her initially: Karen Phillips, who was then WIA director at HCCAA, and Holly Simpson, then a WIA career adviser. The staff did everything they could to help make Chelsea's goals become a reality.

"They were really great to me," Chelsea said.

WIA began by having Chelsea take the JobFit online skills assessment, which confirmed that she was well suited for the field she had chosen. After that, WIA not only helped Chelsea pay for college and find childcare, it also helped her get a job to support herself while she was attending school.

Chelsea got a job at the Merideo Center in Lynch through a WIA service called "Work Experience," that pays the salaries of employees during several weeks of training. When the training period ends, the employer has the opportunity to hire them as a permanent employee. Later, Chelsea also got a Work Experience job in the admissions center at her school.

"Keeping so many balls in the air" at once was daunting, but it only increased Chelsea's determination to succeed.

"It definitely wasn't easy, juggling homework school and my family and a job. I still struggle through the same thing right now," she said. "But I enjoy the things I do and I wouldn't have it any other way."

After returning to college at SKCTC, Chelsea quickly finished associates degrees in both art and science.

She then started working toward a bachelor's degree in human services and counseling offered by Lindsey Wilson College at SKCTC's Cumberland campus. She recently completed her bachelor's degree and began working toward a Masters degree in human services and counseling through Lindsey Wilson.

When Chelsea was nearing the end of her bachelor's level classes, she found out through contacts at the college about a job opening for an administrative assistant at Cumberland Hope Community. Because of her interest in both counseling and substance abuse, the job seemed a perfect fit for her.

"I knew if I was going to start anywhere, I was going to start here," she said.

She applied, was hired, and now has several administrative duties. One of the major things Chelsea does at Cumberland Hope Community is to screen the applicants for the program through telephone interviews, finding out about the drugs they are addicted to and how they came to the program.

She said working with the women is more meaningful to her because she has had friends and family "tugged into addiction."

"I love it because I get to watch the women grow as they recover," she said.

Chelsea said that she feels having had a "hand up" from WIA gives her a better understanding of the human services and counseling field and the people she serves - and motivates her to do her best.

"I could have just not worked and stayed at home, but that wasn't good enough for me. It made me feel really good that other people helped me and I want to help others in need. I've been there," she said.

Chris Thompson, Chelsea's current WIA career adviser, said Chelsea's commitment to hard work and her refusal to give up when things were difficult made her a model WIA participant.

"It excites me to see people in our program that have the determination that Chelsea has," Thompson said. "Their success is our success."

Chelsea said she would definitely steer others who are willing to work to make a better life for themselves toward WIA.

"WIA is there to help you. And if a resource is there and you need it, then use it," she said. "Above all don't ever give up. Don't stop. Don't settle for, 'Well, that's enough.'"

For more information on Workforce Investment Act services for youth available in Harlan County, contact Chris Thompson at Harlan Community Action Agency at 606-589-3260.