“This journey empowered me. I’m no longer in a headspace of ‘I can’t do it’ or ‘it’s not for me; how can I do it if I don’t have the time, the money?’ But it’s possible, and it made me realize that if you put your whole mind and body into it, you can do it.”
After graduating high school, Sofia* spent five years working in a warehouse in Phoenix. Then a coworker who had completed a Fresh Start program pulled her aside. The coworker saw how smart Sofia was and couldn’t understand why she was still working there. She suggested that Sofia check out the Fresh Start website to explore career training opportunities.
The timing was right.
“I just turned 25, and that’s when it hit me like, ‘I want to do something. I want to start a career.’ I want to do something hands-on, something with technology.”
Sofia decided it was time to leave the warehouse behind.
“I know I’m smart and a fast learner,” shared Sofia. “I just became hungry for something. For knowledge, to use my brain.”
She looked up Fresh Start, applied for the Semiconductor Technician program, virtually interviewed with Fresh Start staff over Zoom, and was accepted into the career training program.
Sofia was drawn to the hands-on lab work from the start. She also appreciated that Fresh Start provided everything she needed. All she had to do was show up, ready to learn.
“I thought the lab work was so much fun. I wish we could’ve done even more of it,” said Sofia.
While the lab work was fun, Sofia found the biggest challenge for her was the cohort’s tight timeline. She learned best by taking detailed notes and rereading them until she fully understood the material, and that took time. When the pace picked up, she relied on friendships she built in class.
“My classmates…whenever we needed help in the course, we’d share notes and help each other. I had a lot of support from them, and I’m super grateful for them.”
Sofia was driven by the conviction that she didn’t want to let her classmates or Fresh Start staff down. She committed to finishing the program and intended to follow through.
“I didn’t want to let anyone down. I told myself to push through it; I’m already doing it. I have to do it. I want this.”
Stepping into the technology field after years in warehouses was a big change, and that challenge kept Sofia going.
“I have a hunger for knowledge,” Sofia shared. “I want to do something different. Stepping into the semiconductor industry is completely different for me.”
Sofia came to Fresh Start for more than technical certifications. She also wanted to get more comfortable speaking up, interviewing, and asking questions.
“Fresh Start helped me to grow as a person. I was shut down, quiet, and kept to myself, and Fresh Start helped me network, ask questions, and speak up. I used to never ask questions, and it made me miss so many opportunities.”
Sofia’s growth was clear when guest speakers visited the class.
“My proudest moment was when we had two guest speakers, and I went up to two of them and networked and talked to them. That was a really big moment for me, but it felt natural.”
It took courage to leave her job and join the semiconductor cohort. It meant one less income at home, and at first, Sofia’s family didn’t support her decision. She felt discouraged and questioned whether she made a mistake, but she kept showing up.
“I grew up in a Hispanic household where it’s family-focused, but this time I did something for me. I quit my job; I came here. I’m doing this for me because I want a career.”
As Sofia’s family watched how seriously she was taking the opportunity, they came around.
“Now, I have the support of my family; they talk me through it, and they saw I was putting my time and effort into studying.”
Part of Fresh Start’s workforce training programs focus on career readiness, including mock interviews, resume preparation, LinkedIn profile development, and more. Sofia shared that participating in mock interviews with Fresh Start staff gave her the preparation and confidence she needed to launch a career in her new industry.
“I can show up to interviews confident in myself; I’m not nervous. I’m just ready to tell my story.”
Today, Sofia is working as an AMC Auditor with Welmade at TSMC, the company she has had her sights on all along.
Her advice to women who are where she once was is simple:
“Do everything you can to start a career for yourself because you’re worth it. Take the chance and just go with it, and it will all fall into place.”