DARISHA IDENTIFIED A PATHWAY, GOT TRAINING,
AND STARTED HER CAREER AS A CNA.

“Even though I dropped out of school and had kids young, I didn’t want them to see that their momma didn’t do anything…I wanted to show them that I could make a better life for them.”- Darisha

Darisha was young when she had her first child. Add two more to the mix and she had a lot on her hands for a high schooler. Responsibilities as a mom kept her from completing her highschool diploma and made it difficult to find a good job, much less start a career.

When she started the KnoxWorx program, Darisha was able to explore potential career paths. At first she wanted to work with children until she got a taste for what it’s like to work with the elderly and found a love for nursing. She likes to take care of people. Today, after graduating from Employability and the CNA program she works for Shannondale Assisted Living.

At Shannondale, Darisha says that her spirit is uplifted everyday by the folks that she serves. It makes her feel proud to know that she is making an impact on their life. She says, “It uplifts my spirit knowing that I can make them happy and that they like me being here.”

“The people at KnoxWorx were always there mentally for support. I liked how I could come to the staff and could talk to them about anything. They were cool.”

Sometimes when people feel like they’re stuck, Darisha explains, “It is because they are comfortable with how they are living and they are afraid of the unknown, afraid of failure.”