Success Institute
Discovering Life's Opportunities
Our Success Stories
Jason Oliver
“I feel successful as I work toward my goals; be positive and consistent.” -Jason Oliver
Jason Oliver was referred to the Career Institute by America’s Job Centers and has proven that determination can pay off. He enrolled in the Office Technology Program in September 2015, and found a job on his own right away. He enrolled in night classes studying Microsoft Office Word and Excel.
Jason’s biggest obstacle may have been his lack of transportation. He was resourceful and received help from friends as well as bus passes from the Career Institute. He used those to get to his nighttime classes while he worked fulltime during the day and participated in Career Institute programs as well. He received his Customer Service Certificate and benefitted from the Financial Freedom course.
Jason was asked to become a Student Ambassador and to motivate and assist other young adults in the WIOA program. Jason values good health. His positive attitude and excellent people skills help him as he progresses toward his goals. His goal is to someday have his own business.
Iolani is one of seven children and became the first in her family to pursue a degree after graduating high school. Her career goal is to become a Family Nurse Practitioner, and so she began the educational journey by attending Barstow Community College in 2013.
After enrolling at Barstow Community College Iolani discovered that she was going to be considered an “out-of-state” student because she had not lived in the state for the length of time required and that her tuition would be higher than expected. After a previous WIA participant saw Iolani’s drive and motivation to further her career, he introduced her to the Career Institute.
Iolani was accepted into the WIA program in 2014 and with the help of the Career Institute was able to acquire extra funding for textbooks and other school supplies. She was also able to meet and interact with professional individuals in the medical field at mixers, tours, and community services events held and hosted by the Career Institute. The professionals that Iolani interacted with were able to give her tips and advice on what to expect from the career she wanted to obtain.
In May of 2015, Iolani graduated from Barstow Community College with an Associate's of Science in Natural Science and Math. Iolani also received the highest honors of Summa Cum Laude, for receiving a 3.9-4.0 GPA. Career Institute discovered recently that Iolani began attending Azusa Pacific University’s High Desert Campus and is expected to receive her Bachelors of Science in Nursing in the summer of 2018. After graduating from Azusa Pacific University, Iolani plans to become a Registered Nurse and continue to work toward her Master's and become a Nurse Practitioner.
Iolani Elisara
Jesenia Velasquez
Jesenia Velasquez began attending Barstow Community College in the fall of 2012, working toward her Associate's of Science in Natural Science and Math. She was in her second semester when she determined she no longer wanted to continue furthering her education. She decided to drop out of college and obtain a job like her siblings before her. However, her father noticed that she was not happy and offered some words of advice that encouraged her to keep going. Shortly after, Jesenia learned about the Career Institute during a presentation in her College Readiness course. Later that day Jesenia walked into the Career Institute office and applied.
Once approved into the WIA program, Jesenia was able to improve her communication, time management skills, gain certification in Customer Service and so much more. It was also with the help of the Career Institute that Jesenia was about to land a Work-Study position in the Counseling Department of Barstow Community College.
During the summer of 2015, Jesenia enrolled at Park University’s satellite campus in Barstow and began working on her Bachelors in Social Psychology and Minor in Social Work, where she excepts to graduate in December 2016. Jesenia plans to pursue a Master's in Rehabilitation Counseling after receiving her degree. While attending Park University, Jesenia became a Student Ambassador for the Career Institute for the fourth year in a row and was later offered an official staff position with Career Institute as an assistant in Barstow, where she currently remains. Jesenia was also the recipient of a $500 scholarship from the Success Institute, which she used to pay for her tuition. Jesenia believes that without the encouragement and motivation from the Career Institute staff and her family, she would not be where she is today and she is extremely grateful.
Georgia was close to graduating high school but didn’t have a plan; she didn’t know what to do for her future. She was told she would never survive college, or get a real job due to her learning disorder that was diagnosed at a young age. She lacked confidence in herself until a Career Mentor from the Career Institute came into her high school and gave a presentation.
3 years later, Georgia has successfully achieved more than she thought she ever could. She successfully graduated from Chaffey College with honors and her associates in Universal Studies and Social Behaviors. She was the first to graduate college in her family.
Throughout these 3 years while as a full-time student at Chaffey College, she worked 3 jobs, bought and paid off her own car, and was accepted into the honors program and the honor society at Chaffey College.
Georgia then successfully transferred to Cal State University San Bernardino. She continued to hold leadership roles and served as President of the academic honor society. On June 18th, 2016 she graduated from CSUSB, with her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. During her undergraduate courses, she was accepted to and will be started her Master’s degree program in the Fall of 2016, at California State University San Bernardino, In Guidance Counseling. Her career goal is to become a Guidance Counselor in a community college setting.
Georgia has set her career path to help the young adults in her community find their way after high school, find a career path, and see the potential in themselves to have a successful future.
Georgia Burckel
Joshua is an award-winning digital creative producer and results-driven leader with 5+ years in branding work, content creation, and event production. Specializing in strategic campaign execution and key moment ideation, he thrives in diverse settings, meets tight deadlines, and excels in high-growth environments. Joshua's passion for excellent results, coupled with a proactive and flexible approach, fosters collaborative teamwork for outstanding outcomes.
Joshua enjoys everything digital media. He loves to make content for social media and currently works in the industry, helping engage vast audiences with the content he creates. With the support of the Success Institute, he has gained insightful experiences and continuous support for his future endeavors.
He graduated with his Master of Science in Digital Media Management from USC and continues working in digital media, tech, and entertainment industries.