[October 2008]

Sondra Rose loves her new job as a physical therapist because she gets to go to work every day and help ease someone else’s pain.

“If you’ve got a little old lady that comes in and her back is just hurting so bad she can’t hardly stand it, and after treatment she’s able to stand up straight and walk out? Oh, that’s great,” she said. “It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to use your hands, your mind, and your knowledge to help a person feel better.”

But before Sondra could help others, she needed a little help herself. That’s why she is glad she found the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program, which provided the financial and personal support she needed to get a college degree and launch her medical career.

Sondra had already spent much of her life in the service of others as a stay-at-home mom, raising two children at her home in the Letcher County community of Neon.

“My husband didn’t want me to work, and he wanted me to stay home with the babies. So I did for all those years,” she said.

Her family was well taken care of, she said, and she is proud of how her children—both of whom graduated college or vocational school—turned out.

But growing up in a hardworking “head of the hollow” family in rural Pike County had ingrained a strong work ethic in Sondra. Once her children moved on into their own lives, she felt she had to put her energies to use somewhere.

Sondra went to work at a hamburger stand and then managed a deli. After that she got a job at Image Entry in Whitesburg, starting in data processing and working her way up to quality control officer.

And then, in January 2005, Image Entry went out of business.

“I’ve got to do something,” Sondra said she told herself.

Although she admits it was a frightening decision for a person over 50 years old, Sondra chose to go back to school.

Despite having the support of her husband and children, she soon discovered her husband’s retired coal miner’s income simply would not stretch far enough to cover the financial burden of attending college.

Her fears were eased, however, when a friend helped her find the WIA program and WIA Career Adviser Irene Turner.

Irene works at the L.K.L.P. Community Action Council in Whitesburg, an access point for the JobSight network. JobSight is a collaborative partnership of workforce and training agencies administered by the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP). EKCEP—a Hazard-based nonprofit agency—administers WIA and other workforce development programs in 23 eastern Kentucky counties.

Irene told Sondra that because Image Entry left her community, Sondra was considered a “dislocated worker” under the WIA program. That distinction allowed the program to provide her financial help with her tuition as well as books, uniforms, meals, transportation, and supplies.

Irene first had Sondra complete a survey through JobFit, JobSight’s online job-matching service. Sondra posted high scores on the nursing section of the test, Irene said, meaning Sondra possessed a natural aptitude for a medical career.

Sondra chose to study physical therapy after seeing both her mother and her husband benefit from hands-on therapy after suffering injuries.

“I saw that you could actually make a difference in the way that person felt and how much pain they had day by day,” she said.

Sondra entered Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College in Whitesburg, and soon began taking full advantage of her new educational opportunities. She made the dean’s list every semester, was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honors society, and earned numerous other academic awards she still considers keepsakes.

Sondra said she likes studying, so she had no problems with the coursework.

She was, however, worried at first about fitting in with the many young people in the physical therapy program. But she said she got along well with “the kids,” who regarded her as a mentor and came to her for comfort and guidance.

When problems arose for Sondra, such as her feeling stressed out over getting a rare B in a class, Irene was there to help.

“If there was anything Irene could do, all I had to do was call and she would say, “OK, we’ll do whatever we can,” Sondra said.

Irene said that at one point, Sondra had trouble studying for a class because the bookstore ran short of copies of the textbook and she could not get one of her own. Irene somehow located a copy and made photocopies of the sections Sondra needed to prepare for her test.

Irene said Sondra’s dedication and hard work made her a model WIA participant.

“Her performance has been excellent,” Irene said.

In May, Sondra finally walked across the stage at the college and accepted her diploma. It was both a wonderful feeling and a big relief, she said.

Three days after graduation, she was offered a job at Dominion Health and Fitness at Clintwood in Dickenson County, VA, one of the places where she had participated in clinical rotations during her training. Sondra now helps patients there relieve pain through a variety of techniques such as electrical stimulation, ultrasound, traction, and therapeutic exercises.

“I can’t express how grateful I am to WIA,” she said.

She said the WIA program is a wonderful thing for people in situations like hers who want to go back to college but aren’t sure what to do or how to pay for it.

“I would advise anybody to do it, because if you work hard enough you can get your dream,” Sondra said.

For more information on Workforce Investment Act services available in Letcher County , contact Irene Turner at L.K.L.P. Community Action Council at 606-633-4458. In Perry County call 606-436-3161, in Leslie County call 606-672-2155, and in Knott County call 606-785-3322.