Meet Cierra Walker…
The first thing you notice about Cierra is her dazzling smile. That smile is a reflection of how much her life has changed in just a few short years. While still in her early 20’s she had total responsibility for the grandparents who had raised her, and both of them were slipping into dementia and could not be left alone. Cierra happened to see an online advertisement for Certified Nursing Assistant training at New Hope. She found day care for her grandparents and was accepted into NHE training. Immediately Cierra had to begin juggling home life, being on time for classes, not making excuses for anything, and full commitment to the program. What made it all worthwhile, Cierra says, is that “the instructors were so good to me and challenged me.” CNA training was hard for Cierra as she wanted to make excellent grades, yet some of what she was taught she had already been doing for her grandparents. She found her classmates encouraging, and has kept in touch with some of them. Along with CNA training, Cierra also completed Microsoft Office training, which gave her skills she uses often. Cierra’s grandfather had retired from Delta Airlines and told stories about his airline travels; because of his dementia, he told the same stories over and over. His memories and meeting NHE board member Chris Collins, a senior executive with Delta, inspired Cierra to consider a position with the airline. She was accepted and her training went well: she was certified as a flight attendant. Now she puts her punctuality and medical training to good use in her new position. This young woman, a proud 2014 graduate of New Hope who never flew before in her life, now travels the world. She often speaks to various groups about her experience in CNA and Microsoft training. She even returns to the Center for encourage trainees. Her grandparents are in full-time care and Cierra looks forward to the future with her newborn and fiancé. At our 2017 annual breakfast fundraiser, Cierra was honored with the Founders Award.
Learn more about her story here.