Adult Student Stories
Shon's Story
Graduated July 2011
"If you want to change your life, you need to decide to do it. Anyone can open the door for you, but it’s up to you to walk through it.” —Shon
In 2010 Shon turned 53 and decided it was time to turn his life around. Having grown up with six sisters who were always in the kitchen cooking, Shon knew he had an interest in the culinary arts. After years of arrests and time spent in jail, Shon found out about FareStart while at a local treatment center.
When he first applied to FareStart, Shon thought he would have a hard time getting into the program because of his rocky past, but discovered that he was met with acceptance and encouragement. He enrolled in the program and felt an instant excitement about being back in the kitchen. He bonded with the chefs and enjoyed learning new skills and “kitchen lingo,” so much that he did not want to leave at the end of the program. “I could have stayed at FareStart forever if they let me,” Shon recently said. When asked about his favorite part of the program, Shon said (besides working on the line), he appreciated that the counselors worked one-on-one with him teaching him life skills, and that everyone seemed to take an interest in his progress.
Shon graduated from FareStart in July and currently works as a dishwasher at Etta’s, a Tom Douglas restaurant. Shon’s short term goal is to get an apartment in his own name and his long term goal is to enjoy a stable, satisfying, and drug-free life. His personal philosophy for success is, “If you want to change your life, you need to decide to do it. Anyone can open the door for you, but it’s up to you to walk through it.”
Devona’s Story
Graduated December 2010
“We come to you broken, from all walks of life ... You take us in and you nurture us, and give us new skills and confidence, and then send us out into the world as these beautiful creatures. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” —Devona
After the birth of her fifth child, Devona knew she wanted to leave a better legacy for her children. Following years of enduring domestic violence and nearly five years on welfare, Devona knew she needed a new path, but didn’t know where to start. She had known about FareStart for many months, but it wasn’t until she overheard a conversation at her WorkFirst office that she knew that the program was the opportunity she had been waiting and looking for.
Devona says she wasn’t nervous at all for her first day in the adult training program; she was ready to absorb and learn everything she could. From the beginning she says that she felt a sense of family with the other students and FareStart staff. It was the first place that she didn’t feel judged for her past, which had been fraught with bouts of homelessness, drinking, and starts and stops with several job training programs. Because of that sense of community, Devona says that she did everything she could not just to complete the program, but to excel at every aspect of her training.
With the steady support of her mother, who helped with childcare, Devona graduated on December 2, 2010, having already secured employment as a cook at a local shelter. Devona says that she was proud to graduate from FareStart, which she says demonstrated to her children that she could achieve something great, despite considerable barriers.
At the shelter where she works full-time, Devona prepares meals and teaches women to cook—many of whom share a similar background to her own. “I’m not going to work every day,” she says. “I’m going to my second home.” In February, Devona launched her own catering business, which she operates in her spare time. She hopes to one day open a restaurant featuring her signature spin on sophisticated soul food with a Latin flair.