In an effort to steady her nerves, Tomeka Mallard took a deep breath before a crowd at a United Way Suncoast CNA Program ceremony Friday afternoon and then did something she had never done before.
She took to the podium and became a public speaker.
“I really wanted everybody to know that I was scared to do a lot of things,” the 42-year-old Mallard said, “but with the help of some special people at United Way and through their (UWS CNA program) I’m feeling confident to take on new challenges. If my story could help at all I wanted to tell it.”
The Village Lifted Her Up
Mallard explained how she wanted to get her nurses’ certificate more than 20 years ago only to have family issues cut her dream short. She went on to work at various entry-level jobs while raising three boys (Darryl, Javonte, and Bruce) and somehow making ends meet often as a single parent. More than a year ago she got a job as a baggage handler at Tampa International Airport but was still dependent on some government assistance programs.
Then one day at the Sulphur Springs Resource Center, while making copies of pay stubs to get the government assistance, she ran into Kimberly Miller, who oversees the CNA program as the UWS senior manager for financial stability (and workforce development).
“Every time Ms. Kim saw me, she would say, ‘I want you to sign up for the CNA program,’” Mallard said. “Ms. Kim kept on me and on me about it, but I didn’t do it because I kept saying I wasn’t prepared to do it. Truth is I was scared of interviewing, scared of taking the tests, all of it. But Ms. Kim and a lot of other people at the United Way kept encouraging me to do it.”
Finally, “the village” convinced her and Mallard went for it.
Starting at Tampa General
When Mallard finished her speech she received resounding applause, largely from a bunch of folks who not only helped her pass the state-board test for nursing assistant certification, but also helped her land her first nursing job — which she will begin this week at Tampa General Hospital.
“I wanted to be a nurse from the time I was a little girl,” Mallard said. “I used to play nurse with my dolls and then I took care of everybody around me all through my life. Being a nurse, I feel, is my calling.”
There were many, many people to thank for Mallard’s success. Her teachers from Hillsborough Community College’s Allied Health Institute for Corporate and Continuing Education led the way. But she also received support from her United Way Suncoast mentors and an array of other nonprofit partners, including Positive Spin’s Priscila Perez, who devoted time and guidance to helping Tomeka with student services and mock interviews.
Dwyer Workforce Development joins in
Dwyer Workforce Development, a unique non-profit dedicated to solving the growing healthcare workforce crisis by providing life-changing career pathways in the senior healthcare industry, has joined United Way Suncoast as a new partner. Dwyer worked with the latest cohort and will continue to offer its brand of support as the UWS cohort moves forward.
“We call the (CNA students) Dwyer scholars and that means we provide case management for them in the background,” said Jodi Jackson, a community engagement coordinator for Dwyer Workforce Development. “We can help them with any need they might have, whether it’s for childcare, transportation, food insecurity, rent or whatever. They might not need any of that, but if they do, we can help.”
Celebrating the latest cohort
Ultimately, the reason that everyone was there at the North Tampa Community Center on Friday, was to celebrate the latest group of CNA graduates, who recently passed the eight-week course. The group beamed: Imari Anderson, Olivia Whitehead, Beatriz Jean-Mary, Amanda Ortiz, Nayeli Ruiz Hernandez, Taniya Sherman, Grace Michel, and Terry Burson.
The event’s keynote speaker, Melva McKay-Bass, the Suncoast Credit Union Chief Business Development Officer, drew inspiration from the recent CNA program grads, to say the least.
“You are providing a service that not only requires a skill, but it requires heart,” said McKay-Bass, also a United Way Suncoast board member. “We need you. I have a mother-in-law who has dementia. She needs you. You’ve chosen an industry where you have the power to heal and to help people, and that is so very honorable. So, thank you, thank you all.”
The latest group represents the 10th cohort in three years. The results reflect the success: 90 students have entered the program with 87 completing the training. Despite a state backlog on testing, many have earned their CNA licenses.
“I want all of today’s graduates to know that they can continue to gain more and more confidence even after today,” said Mallard, who, by the way, took up swimming lessons for the first time in her life last week. “I’m so excited now about what the future might hold for me. I can’t wait to put on my hospital scrubs next week, scrubs that have Tampa General Hospital written on them. I always dreamed of that day — the day I wore scrubs with a hospital name on them. I feel when I put on the scrubs, I will feel important. That truly will be a dream come true.”
The next CNA Cohort
If you, or someone you know, is looking for a steppingstone into the nursing field, or a new career, this CNA program is a great opportunity. This eight-week training class begins on Thursday, January 9th 2025 at Sunshine Health, 200 W Waters Ave., Tampa, FL 33604. Classes will be held every T/Th/Fr from 2:00pm – 6:00pm. Register for one of the upcoming info sessions on Teams (required):
