“Fresh Start contributed to everything that I have in me right now. It contributed to my voice, my foundation, my whole way of restructuring my thought process.”
Sonya* knew early on that she wanted to be an electrician. Along her career journey, Sonya earned a few electrician certifications, but they never quite translated into a direct, stable career opportunity that she felt confident pursuing. Inspired for change, Sonya quietly kept searching for a way forward. Her research pointed her towards Fresh Start.
As she transitioned out of a dead-end job, Sonya had more time than ever to dedicate to landing her dream job. At a Fresh Start career exploration event, she heard directly from a woman working in the construction industry as she authentically shared her story of professional achievement. Feeling empowered, Sonya applied for the Clean Energy & Trades program on the spot.
“I had something to look forward to and to get the ball rolling. Fresh Start provided me with an exciting plan within the pathway I was trying to create for myself.”
What Sonya found at Fresh Start went far beyond the technical training needed to become an electrician. She found a community that helped her rebuild her confidence, her voice, and her sense of self. Sonya shares that she felt comfortable expressing her challenges and opening up to others to get the support that she needed.
“Fresh Start gave me power and control, and a way to learn a new thought process so that I could handle my everyday life, thoughts, and emotions,” Sonya reflects. “Now I can connect with myself in ways that I didn’t fully know before.”
Sonya’s newfound confidence dazzled in the moment it mattered most. When a guest speaker, a recruiter from one of the largest construction groups in Arizona, visited the program classroom, Sonya had already prepared her resume and to ensure it reached the recruiter.
“I listened to her speak, and to everyone asking questions, but my goal was to leave my resume. I gave it to her…and applied to [join] the company.”
Two weeks later, Sonya had an interview. By the end of it, she had a job offer.
“I was amazed to receive an offer at the end of the interview,” Sonya beams.
Yet none of this happened without real hardship. Sonya attended Fresh Start while living in a domestic violence shelter. On her first day of the program, her car broke down, forcing her to ride city buses for over 90 minutes, both before and after class. For weeks, she organized rides with various bus routes and Lyft codes, with support from the women in her cohort.
“Those challenges were real, but it didn’t stop me…the women in the program surrounded me,” Sonya reflects. “They checked in and called me before class to make sure I was okay. Sometimes, they’d even give me rides home.”
Sonya refused to let old thought patterns pull her under. That first day when her car broke down, she caught herself thinking, ‘Here we go again with my issues and challenges.’ Sonya could’ve fallen into the negative trap, but instead held onto the feeling of courage she gained at Fresh Start.
“I got smiles when I walked in the door. [Fresh Start] staff said, ‘You’re okay. We’re glad you’re here.’ That was everything. I didn’t let that thought process or those negative thoughts beat me at all.”
A mother of five, Sonya had dedicated years to raising her children toward independence. At Fresh Start, Sonya found a place where she could finally give herself the same investment.
“I already invested my time, and I was able to get myself back here. I was so close,” says Sonya, “I almost had this certificate in my hand…that was my focus. I couldn’t let any challenges stop me. I had to keep going no matter what.”
Sonya accepted a job offer as an electrical apprentice at Nox Group and gained a clearer understanding of the pathway ahead of her: a secure, long-term route into the trade she came to Fresh Start to pursue.
“I learned that the union is always there no matter what; whichever route you go, you can always come back to the union and be in a more secure place. So, my goal was to complete the program and to build off it successfully, and that’s exactly what I did.”
With a new career in her grasp, Sonya is now working with her domestic violence shelter on an exit plan, a concrete step toward her own home and independence.
“I feel like I have more opportunities. Being in a domestic violence shelter and coming to the Fresh Start program…and now having a solid [career] offer, I’m in a position where now I can work with the shelter on an exit date and get into my own place.”
Looking back, Sonya credits Fresh Start not just with a career path, but with rebuilding who she is.
“Fresh Start contributed everything that I have in me right now. It contributed to my voice, my foundation, and my whole way of restructuring my thought process. I’m happy where I am right now. I walk with more confidence than I ever have.”