Success Stories

 

Lakesha Woods

Lakesha found out about the CCDS program just ten months ago when she was looking for child care information on the internet. Before this, she was paying the high cost of child care out of pocket, which was starting to wear thin on her savings. The money she saves on child care affords her the luxury of concentrating on her education as many of her peers struggle to maintain a part-time job and a strong GPA.

“I saw a link for child care assistance. I didn’t know exactly what it was but I decided to check it out anyway. I’m glad I did! Before I knew it, I was scheduled with an appointment and my son was attending a good day care”, Woods said.

From that point forward, she never had to worry about her child care situation – that was taken care of. This allowed her to focus on the big picture. Lakesha is scheduled to graduate from San Antonio College’s Registered Nurse program in May 2008. Reliable child care allows her to thrive in the nursing program as she completes her externship and sets her sights on the future. Lakesha decided to become a nurse when her son was born because she knows that nurses will always be in demand.

“I plan to work in an operating room after I graduate and then I’d like to continue my education. I might consider teaching but I know that I want to start my own business. I would love to make enough so I can give back to CCDS someday and someone else can benefit the way I did”, Woods said.

When asked about the customer service she received with CCDS, Woods gladly explained, “I feel like they went above and beyond – it felt like they wanted to help me. My caseworker, Anitra is always quick to respond to my phone calls and she’s always ready to answer my questions. She’s really professional”.

Lakesha is ready to turn the page and make a good story even better, but she’ll never forget that day the internet introduced her to CCDS. She doesn’t know how the story will end but she sure likes the way it’s going so far. Two things she knows for sure: she is heading in the right direction and it only gets better from here. Workforce Solutions Alamo would like to thank Lakesha for sharing her Success Story.

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Stacey Vasquez

Stacey Vasquez, a soon-to-be UTSA graduate enrolled in the CCDS program in 2001 as a teen parent determined to take advantage of every benefit CCDS has to offer. Stacey, who attended high school in the San Antonio Independent School District, now works for the school district while she attends school full-time. Stacey learned early on that CCDS would be a catalyst for achieving her goals.

When asked how she found out about CCDS, Vasquez smiled and said,
“CCDS came to my school. I was glad to know that I could send my child to any CCDS daycare while I went to school and worked my way through high school, and eventually through college. That was really convenient for me. I got to choose one by my house.”

Stacey is scheduled to graduate from UTSA in December, which means she is one step closer to reaching a goal she set in high school. Her Bachelor’s degree will open up new doors that seemed so far away before. Stacey plans to apply for the Management Training program with H-E-B after she graduates with her degree in Management Science. Stacey has always wanted to run a warehouse. She believes she will thrive in that fast-paced environment since the last several years have prepared her better than any class ever could. Stacey has learned to balance her busy schedule as a mom, a student, and a role model, a role she embraces with open arms.

“I call Tuesdays and Thursdays my never-ending days because I start by going to work at 8 a.m., then I go to class at 5:30 p.m. and get home around 9 p.m. But at the end of the day I know that my daughter is in a safe, nurturing environment”, Vasquez explained.

When asked how a nurturing environment has benefited her daughter, Vasquez exclaimed, “They taught her Spanish over the summer! It’s amazing! She knows her numbers and colors in Spanish. I don’t even know my colors in Spanish.”

Stacey will withdraw from CCDS ready to enter the workforce with a Bachelor’s degree and enthusiasm for the future. Even better than that, she knows she has “been there, done that”. Workforce Solutions Alamo would like to thank Stacey for sharing her Success Story.