Almira

Six years ago, Almira and her two children moved to Jacksonville from Philadelphia to start fresh. Her son and daughter both struggle with health issues, so Almira knew she wanted to begin a career in the medical field. While up north, she earned a patient tech credential. However, she found herself wanting to move beyond just an entry-level position.

Almira utilized one of Jacksonville’s community-based organizations by joining BEAM’s Single Parent Program (SPP). With their help, Almira found a patient scheduler job at a local hospital. Almira also utilized another resource via the ASTEP program through Goodwill Industries of North Florida.

According to Goodwilljax.org, the “A-STEP program aims to provide working adults in North Florida access to higher education in order to elevate earning potentials and job security.” Almira applied to ASTEP and began taking classes at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) in mid-2015.

A year later, Almira’s position was outsourced. She persevered, landing a job working for a local healthcare system at the registration desk. For 2 years, Almira plugged away at completing pre-requisite classes. In 2017, she was accepted into the FSCJ respiratory therapy program.

Almira graduated in May of 2019 with an Associate in Science in Respiratory Care, despite issues that could have caused her to quit. She overcame health issues and severe test anxiety. She successfully passed 2 state exams in late summer 2019. Almira was immediately offered a position with Wolfson’s Hospital Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as a Respiratory Therapist. She loves working with children and giving individual care.

Almira says this about her profession in the patient side of healthcare: “I am so blessed to have been selected as a RTA on the NICU floor at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. I am grateful to be a part of an amazing medical team dedicated to helping the sickest (and youngest) patients with chronic respiratory problems increase their survival rate and improve quality of life through Respiratory Therapy. It is my passion. It is my heart. It is my lifelong dream and I couldn’t be happier.”

As a result of her persistence and work ethic, Almira closed on her very first home in the Arlington area in January 2020. Almira is one of many single mothers in the ASTEP program. She sets an example for how hard work and educational achievement in a growing career pathway leads to long-term success.