Tera's Story: Building a Bright Future For Her Son

In fall of 2017, Tera discovered Hired’s Career Pathway training program when a neighbor who had worked with Hired invited her to learn more.

Every week, Tera would walk with her son past the City of Saint Paul’s State Pollution Control Agency, always wondering to herself what kind of work they did. Little did she know, Tera would soon find herself employed, with Hired’s assistance, at that very organization.

After graduating from Hired’s Fall 2017 Office Administration Career Pathway, Tera began applying to many jobs with the help of her Hired employment counselor. Through Hired’s partnership with Minnesota State, Tera landed an interview at the State Pollution Control Agency and soon after was hired as an entry-level Office Specialist at $15.85/hour.

Tera stayed connected with Hired long after she accepted the job. In 2019, Tera spoke about her experience at Hired’s Fundraising Breakfast event. She talked about how eager she was to build a bright future for her son, and about how proud she was of her independence. Her speech met with cheers and a standing ovation from the crowd.

“I’m so proud of myself, and my son is proud of me too. I remember on graduation day my son kept smiling and pointing at me ‘That’s my mom!’ he kept telling everybody, and it brought tears to my eyes,” Tera recalled.

Today, Tera has been working at the State Pollution Control Agency for nearly two years. Hired will continue to support Tera as she pursues even greater success.