Monica

Three years into Monica’s* most recent job, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and permanently changed her work environment. Her company opted to shift from in-person to fully remote operations and she continued to work from home for the next five years.   

“Being home every day was really draining to me. Being in front of a screen for eight hours, I felt my health deteriorating, and my face was getting sadder because I wasn’t around people…I felt like I was drowning, even though it was an okay job. I was working for nothing, that’s how I felt at that moment.”  

The state of her relationship exacerbated her exhaustion with her job. She wanted to explore leaving her current relationship and knew that to do so successfully, she needed more income to provide for herself and her daughter independently.   

“I had been in a 15-year relationship that was becoming financially, verbally, and mentally abusive. I knew that I had to make a change. I had to get out of the house.”  

Monica felt drawn to a career that was innately hands-on and involved working outdoors. She researched careers in trades on her own and started seeing ads for Fresh Start in her social media feeds. One advertisement showcased Fresh Start’s Construction Safety course, and Monica was so excited to apply to the cohort beginning in April 2025.  

“When Fresh Start reached out to me after I applied, that was my sign. When they called, I knew that everything happens for a reason. It’s tough out there right now, especially trying to find a job.”  

On her first day of the program, Monica was eager to take the first steps toward her goal of securing a job that would provide a good salary to support herself as a single provider.   

“I’m looking to get caught up on bills. I’ve been doing little side gigs, like Amazon Flex, to get caught up on bills right now.”  

Monica had a background in safety and regulations, so as the class continued, she felt comfortable and knowledgeable about all of the questions asked throughout the program.   

“I was interested in being out in the field. I was ready for that change to be out and about, to breathe and feel liberated again. To get my spark back. That was part of the reason why I chose that program.”  

Once inside Fresh Start’s doors for her Construction Safety training, Monica learned the full range of the services offered.   

“I thought it was so cool. I didn’t know that this organization did so many amazing things for women.”  

Fresh Start’s Construction Safety Career program, powered by ADOT, teaches the critical skills needed to keep job sites safe, manage traffic with confidence, and become a valued team member. The course prepares students for in-demand roles in construction, roadwork, public safety, and most importantly, creates the network needed to secure a job after course completion.   

“What helped about this program is that I was able to network with other women who are currently in the construction field and get their contact information, make friends, and add other professionals on LinkedIn.”  

Monica felt it was essential that other women understood that the gender stigmas surrounding trade jobs are being rewritten in today’s world.  

“I was brought up thinking, ‘A person in trades has to be a man,’…Anything that a boy can do, we can do too…Women can do anything anybody else can do. I wish I could go back and tell my youngest self that we can really get into this.”  

After attaining the certification, Monica was proud that she had taken the leap of faith, as her confidence skyrocketed. She now felt more comfortable talking to people after years of feeling isolated at her remote job.   

“My advice to other women is: don’t think about it too much, just do it. Don’t hesitate. Everything is going to be okay. Everything always works out. It’s scary, but if you don’t do it now, time is going to pass and you’ll regret it.”