On The Road to a Brighter Future

Genesee County – Casey is a single mother who has been raising her son by herself for most of his life. She believes it’s essential to show children the importance of hard work and perseverance, even when the going gets rough. She prides herself on never having applied for government assistance. Casey has maintained employment throughout her young life, yet never seemed to be able to get ahead.  

In April 2023, Casey was interested in training to become a truck driver. She knew that she could make a good living in this profession, and it wouldn’t require her to spend years in a classroom setting. She had called many training centers and realized it might not be within her reach, as the cost of training was way beyond her financial capabilities, and she couldn’t commit to the time away from home it would require. 

However, towards the end of her research, just before giving up all possibilities of pursuing this career, she heard about GST Michigan Works! and decided to call for more information. She was put in contact with a Career Coach. Together, they talked about her goals, barriers, and ways to overcome those obstacles. It was soon discovered that she would qualify for a training scholarship. Now, she just had to put all the pieces together to make this dream happen. After speaking with her family and place of employment, she decided to go for it! 

While she pursued her CDL A training, GST Michigan Works! was there for her; helping her overcome the financial hurdles she faced. GST was able to assist her with mileage to and from every training session and provided reimbursement for her MDOT physical. With this help, she was able to complete training in May of 2023. In August of 2023, she secured employment as a local CDL A driver for Ram Express. She is now making $31.25 an hour, and gets to be home every night with her son!