"RMCEP didn't just help me start my education, it helped me change the course of my life."

Stephanie came to Leading CareerForce Partner Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program (RMCEP) in late 2014 looking for help with school. She felt the idea of college was "out of reach" for her at the time, especially as a single mom of a two-year-old. RMCEP provided the financial support, confidence and encouragement she needed to believe in herself. She focused on her education and in 2016, she earned her associates degree and her bachelors in 2018. The transition to a career was no easy feat, however. Many employers found her "overqualified" for entry-level positions. In 2018, she was hired as an Events Coordinator for Emerging Prairie, where she could use her creativity and project management skills while building meaningful connections.

The COVID-19 Pandemic threw her career plans off course in 2020. At the time, Stephanie was seven months pregnant, she had just lost major supports in her life, her job and her car. Even in this moment, she didn't give up. She reached out to the property management group for her rental home. They hired her on and eventually promoted her to area manager. It was a field she had always been curious about but never pursued. After four years of growth in that role, a new opportunity came her way that she couldn't tum down. 

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