Tina’s Story

Tina applied to join New Moms’ Workforce Development program in early 2013. She had a newborn daughter, and was looking for support, in order to grow professionally and become a role model for her new baby girl. She came to the program hoping to learn job skills, but also how to juggle motherhood with the working world.

Although Tina explored other career paths throughout her time in Workforce Development, she kept coming back to her passion for baking.  Tina set her career goal: to become a pastry chef.  On one career outing with her Workforce class, Tina had a chance to tour Le Cordon Bleu, where she learned how much training she would need in order to pursue her dream.

Through our program, Tina learned critical job-readiness skills, improving her communication, time management, and customer service skills; as well as how to balance family life with work. Her Supportive Employment Specialist worked individually with her to locate a great daycare facility, learn to balance her bank accounts, and budget her paychecks.

After graduating from Workforce Development, Tina signed up for a program that would train her to become a pastry chef.  She immersed herself in her craft, while working part time at Mariano’s, as a cake decorator.  This well-paying job allowed her to support her family while gaining on-the-job experience in her chosen field.

“Without New Moms, I would have never gotten my career started.  I wouldn’t have known where to start.”  With guidance from her Supportive Employment Specialist, Tina now balances parenthood, full-time school, and part-time work.  At New Moms, she found a community of support, which provided the encouragement she needed, as a young mother.