A Super-Sized Milestone Moment
On Fridays, we share Milestone Moments on our social media pages that highlight successes at CSL. Often, it’s a short story. Today, we have a super-sized story that we don’t think warrants any condensing, so we’re moving it to our blog post. We asked Aaliyah to share our story, and here’s the unedited email she sent to CSL and our career training partners at Great Jobs KC. Her narrative will give you some insights into the incredible resilience and strength people possess!
Hiyaaa Kelly and Kaydee!
I hope you are doing well. I wanted to give you a little update on my life since we enrolled me into school! Buckle up because this will be an emotional ride!
Early on last year, I contacted you about exploring options in possibly going back to school in the medical field, since I loved the service I had gotten back in 2021 when CSL helped me get my Phlebotomy Technician License - which might I add, I was able to secure a job at the Community Blood Center as a Phlebotomist making $18.00 an hour! Woohoo!
I really love how detail-oriented you were with explaining each medical certification you and your team/company had available! I’m not sure if you remember but when we originally spoke I kept telling you “just something in the medical field” and my original first option was Paramedic. But you really listened - and heard me and how I voiced what I wanted my future to look like! You were so quick and efficient with getting me all available options and explaining each process to me for what it would look like if I chose Medical Billing and Coding or CNA or even welding! You were so thorough and I appreciate it and the constant encouragement and reassurance that you were with me for the ride and whatever I chose to do! While I decided on which school and what program to choose, you did inform me that I would need to attend workshops and a handful of other classes in the meantime. I attended each workshop and loved all my advisors! Paul Gordon, the financial coach, was extremely sweet and informative and even still checks in on my progress to this day! And I know I was probably not the ideal client for you guys and I apologize! So much was going on behind the scenes and I was not very communicative. In all honesty I was so embarrassed, so ENRAGED and overall just extremely sad! I am extremely grateful that you were so persistent with reaching out and checking in to see how I was doing. I know I dropped a huge bombshell when I told you my house was robbed!! Everything I had worked for, everything I had bought, hoped and prayed for and just like that — GONE! All my kids’ toys and wallets/purses, tv’s, all of our beds, couches, pots and pans, everything… just. gone. I felt so defeated. So depleted on everyday life. Wondering how I was going to get everything back. How to tell my family. How to tell my kids. I couldn’t even keep my kids anymore because they had no where to sleep! My parents were so supportive and allowed my kids to stay there with them while I sulked in everything. I am so grateful beyond words that you had called and texted me when you did. I was embarrassed to tell you but you were so invested and supportive of my journey, I felt so safe with you! You, of course, had all the resources in the world, it felt like! You explained everything! What the process would look like getting help from Flourish out in Grandview! I am extremely grateful. You, CSL and Flourish helped me restock my entire house and I cried for weeks before and after! Happy tears!
I thought everything was finally back on track, I can finally breathe! The school you and I chose for me to obtain my CNA License was Mid-America College of Health Sciences in KS. This would be a fully accelerated course for two and a half weeks, ie; Monday-Friday 7am-4pm. When we decided that, I was in a place in life where I wasn’t sure if I could work, take care of my kids, take care of my household, and attend school, but I was extremely determined to try, at least! When we got everything completed and the first day of school arrived in September — I got extremely sick and on top of that my mother had a heart attack! She had no previous health issues and this would be the first of three to follow! The dreadfulness slowly started creeping back in. How am I going to take care of her and my kids? How am I going to care for my dad, my mom and my kids? Their bills? My bills? I could not go to school and leave them with nothing and no one. I could not start school—Something we worked so hard on. I had to focus on working. I felt so guilty for not starting in September as planned. I became extremely depressed... again! This went on for months. I was so sick and went back and forth to the hospital for months. No answers. No school, that's for sure. In December 2024, I lost my job as a phlebotomist and shortly after I lost my house, my car, everything. Now if this wasn't the icing on the cake, the cherry on top!
I had nowhere to go.. devastated isn't even the word.
It was at that point where I decided, I have to just do something and if I didn't do anything, I knew the depression would creep back in and to no point of return. I called MACOHS immediately! I asked if they were booked for their January 6th, 2025 class, they legitimately had ONE spot left and because all of my information was still in the system, they were able to place me in that class. I stayed with a friend for those two and a half weeks, I studied every night -- multiple times, stayed up all day and all night looking over any exam questions and lectures that might possibly be trick questions, I wanted to prepare for anything on the exam. I passed every exam, every pop quiz, every test -- with an A. I went in and took the State Exam and passed 98/100. I didn't even miss two questions, I only missed half of one question! I got my license January 28th, 2025 and was hired at Beacon of Hope Hospice the exact same day! I started the following week, February 3rd at $20/hr! I am the first CNA in our company's history that has ever been hired without any experience. How cool, right?! I have been employed with this company going on six months and it has been extremely rewarding. I am completely grateful. Since then, I have worked extremely hard, I was able to find a new house for myself and my kids. It is furnished, the bills are paid every month -- and on time! I was even able to afford to go on a week vacation to California AND Mexico in May 2025. I truly do not know where I would be right now if it wasn't for Great Jobs KC and Community Services League! It's honestly scary to even imagine where I could've been. This has been a humbling experience and I am so thankful that you, Kelly, and you, Kaydie did not give up on me and were here to support me throughout this entire experience. I speak so highly of both programs, I try to tell everyone my story and how there for me you all were. I try to promote both companies to everyone I meet that's in a place in life where they don't know what to do. I truly started with nothing and no motivation! You guys were so consistent (and persistent) and I didn't know that I needed those two things to keep me going until now. My manager and my company tells me every week how I have been such a great asset to their company and how I surprise them every day, every week and every month of my growth, determination and attention to detail. My patient's have sent my company shout-outs to be recognized within the company and not just our branch here in Blue Springs. I feel on top of the world, overjoyed!
I know this was probably extremely long and not the kind of short story you were probably hoping for, but honestly, I couldn't have told it any other way. This experience has humbled me thoroughly and I will never be able to express my gratitude enough. Thank you all so much for everything that you have done for me. You all have put me and my four children in a GREAT place for us to start living and enjoying life, unapologetically! I am beyond thrilled to have you both in my corner while I study for my RN. This is not the end of my story, this is just the beginning!
Aaliyah Morrow, CNA
RN, loading...❤️🩺
