Stories

Meet Tasha, a Brighton Center's Center for Employment Training success story

By Julie McGuire, Program Assistant, LISC Greater Cincinnati
4.19.2023 — LISC StoriesFinancial StabilityGreater Cincinnati Blog
Meet Tasha! Photo

Meet Tasha!

Tasha Johnson is the Financial Aid Officer with the Brighton Center's Center for Employment Training. In addition she is also the instructor for the Health Technology Administration course. Tasha was one of the first Brighton Center CET graduates, and happily returned to the program as an instructor to help grow the program and assist others find success in employment training in highly sought after jobs in the medical field. 

Did you know that this month is the 20th anniversary of the observance of Financial Literacy Month? Since 2003, April has been designated as National Financial Literacy Month by US Legislators. While it began in 2000 as a single day to promote financial literacy in youth, it has since expanded to include the entire month of April.

At LISC, financial literacy is at the forefront of what we do. For individuals and families to accomplish their dream of homeownership, small business ownership, debt reduction, or building generational wealth, understanding how finances work is the first step. This is where places like the Brighton Center, a Financial Opportunity Center® (FOC), come in to play in our community. The Brighton Center is a Northern Kentucky non-profit with a mission to “create opportunities for individuals and families to reach self-sufficiency through family support services, education, employment, and leadership.” The services they provide range from street outreach, childcare and education, senior services, financial services, and so much more.

A few weeks ago, a colleague and I attended an open house at one of the Brighton Center’s locations for employment and workforce services, the Center for Employment Training (CET). CET offers its adult trainees “life-changing skills to help them find good jobs with a livable wage and build successful futures.” During our visit we met several instructors and trainees, who shared a wealth of information about both the technical parts of the program but also personal stories that led them to enroll at CET. One student shared her story of overcoming substance abuse and her experience as a single mother seeking to create a better life for herself and her family. Her journey led her to CET and their Medical Assisting program where she is not only learning the skills to help her find a job position with a livable wage, and also forming family-like relationships with her fellow trainees and instructors.

During this visit we also met Tasha Johnson, the Health Technology Administration instructor. Tasha is truly a Brighton Center and CET success story. Not only did she complete the Health Technology Administration course with perfect attendance and flying colors, but she was also later asked to return to CET and become one of the instructors and grow with the program. This is not to say the program was easy, Tasha had her share of challenges as a newly unemployed single mother learning new skills and navigating a major life change. Hearing her story made such an impact on us that asking her to speak with me about financial literacy and her experience with CET was an easy decision.

The day I met with Tasha our meeting was delayed. Tasha was devoting time to a former student who was job seeking and needed advice. To me this speaks volumes about not only her character as a person but to the sense of community the trainees and staff at CET build; success is the goal and trainees at CET are set up for success – even after graduation. Tasha relayed that message to me through her personal CET success story. In 2018 Tasha was laid off from her long-time job at Toyota where she had been in IT. As a single mother of two daughters, she knew she wanted to cause as little disruption to their lives and be on unemployment for the shortest time possible; that was when she learned about the Brighton Center and CET through a workforce something session. Tasha was concerned at first about student loans she carried as well as some other issues with her financial wellness, but the well-trained staff at CET helped guide her through the enrollment process by helping to place her other student loans into forbearance through a Fresh Start program and applying for student aid. Tasha shared that as part of the program with CET, financial wellness is a required course, and all trainees attend financial workshops. During these sessions the trainees learn about how to read their credit report; including how to understand what an APR is, paying down debt, disputing incorrect entries, and general information on how to effectively use bank accounts and save for the future.

Don't allow your past to dictate your future... All mistakes can be changed. All the things that have happened can be reversed. It just takes hard work.

During our conversation, Tasha relayed another story about the dedication of the staff toward ensuring their trainees complete the program and in their philosophy statement, CET states trainees can expect openness, guidance, and counseling from them. Tasha had a difficult decision to make. She could pay for her car insurance or feed her children. Feeding her children would win out, and unfortunately leave her uninsured and unable to attend classes. When she relayed this to the CET staff, they made sure that her insurance was paid, to the point of driving to the insurance office and handing a check directly to an agent. Tasha then explained all the ways that the Brighton Center and CET assist their trainees with whatever barriers they may have toward their success; including emergency assistance funding that can be used when cash is needed, food assistance, and clothing assistance. These are just a few of the services they can provide to help ensure success.

Tasha is incredibly proud of the work she has done to increase her financial wellness, with the help of the staff at CET, and proud of the wisdom she is able to impart upon her children. She shared with me her daughter at age 30 was able to go into a car dealership and purchase her first car without a downpayment and with low financing.

When asked what the greatest financial wisdom that was shared with her, or she shares with her trainees, she stated “Don't allow your past to dictate your future... All mistakes can be changed. All the things that have happened can be reversed. It just takes hard work."

Brighton Center's Center for Employment Training Fast Facts

Find out more about the programs offered by the Brighton Center by visiting them online.

Do you want to help and be a part of the success of the students at CET and everyone in the community who uses the services of the Brighton Center? Here’s how!