Certified to Succeed

Growing up, Rick’s mom couldn’t care for him due to her struggles with alcohol and substance abuse.

“Home wasn’t really a place, it was more like an idea,” he shared. Fortunately, after a very short time in the foster care system, he was placed in the care of a loving aunt.

Determined to not fall into the same lifestyle he grew up around, Rick pursued an education at San Diego State University. It was there that he was introduced to Just in Time for Foster Youth through the Guardian Scholars program.

Rick is an ambitious student, majoring in Biology, Psychology, and Communications and planning to go pre-med. As part of his goal, he needs clinical laboratory experience and credible certifications, so he decided to seek his phlebotomy certification. However, the certification process is an expensive one, and even with budgeting and saving, it seemed like a nearly impossible dream. That is, until he decided to turn to Just in Time for help.

Through JIT’s NEXTjobs service, Rick was able to get over half the cost of his certification process covered. Although COVID has made it harder to practice, Rick is determined to do everything he can to complete his certification.

“I’m not stopping,” he said. “I’m going to make as much progress as I can. And I for sure wouldn’t have done it without the support. I’m really thankful for all the opportunities Just in Time has brought into my life.”