Story of Dianna Zenier
Dianna Zenier’s journey to GoodTech Academy, operated by Goodwill Industries of East Texas, began with a little nudge at the Texas Employment Commission, which referred her to the Christian Women’s Job Corp (CWJC) for job training. There, she realized she could receive training that would enable her to gain the knowledge and skills needed to obtain successful employment. Her interest was now piqued at the possibilities that awaited her. After meeting with the CWJC staff, they made her an affordable offer, wherein she could take computer classes, life skills and bible study, all of which were part of the curriculum for a small fee.
In early 2020, during the beginning of the COVID pandemic, she had found herself unemployed. Also, she quickly realized that the employment opportunities that were available were too physically demanding and detrimental to her health. Still, she was determined to find a job using her current computer skills; however, because technology had advanced over the years, this proved to be a difficult journey. Her heart and soul went into the CWJC program, where she quickly found encouragement, friendship and knowledge, while developing a strong sense of pride in herself. Through a collaboration, the instructors that taught Microsoft Word and Excel also offered information about Goodwill Industries, Inc.
Still, she was unable to find suitable employment after submitting several applications and undergoing multiple job interviews. She felt as though her past mistakes had become roadblocks. Since she was unable to find a good fit with the employment opportunities available at the time, she enrolled at GoodTech Academy. There she found that the GoodTech instructor was the same one who had taught her at CWJC. She knew the trusted relationship would help her to excel in the computer skills courses. Notably, she increased her initial test scores from a 77% to a 91% on the Northstar assessment for Microsoft Word (a positive change of 18.18%), which encouraged her to continue the learning process.
Dianna feels that CWJC and Goodwill Industries of East Texas have been godsends, and that a higher power is leading her on the next steps of her journey. She is looking forward to finding a position that recognizes her interests, work experience, and her desire to learn, while encouraging her to be a beneficial part of the team. As she often says, “never surrender, never give up – pull up your bootstraps and keep marching”!
Train for a career in the IT industry. Goodwill Industries of East Texas provides employment training programs to candidates in various community settings, with an emphasis on grant funding for computer training for women.