October Spotlight - Nancy and Shardan
This month, Nancy and Shardan are both graduating from St. Joseph Center’s CodeTalk, one of the Living-Wage Career Pathways in our Economic Mobility Program. CodeTalk is an intensive and rigorous 16-week technology training program designed to prepare low income, underemployed and underserved women for entry level careers in coding, UX design, and web development. Nancy and Shardan not only learned how to code and build websites in the past few months; they learned about themselves and are on a course for living-wage careers in technology.
Both Nancy and Shardan learned about Imagine LA through our community partners, Union Station Homeless Services and LA Family Housing. Shardan joined our Family Partnership Model pre-pandemic and fondly recalls her Family Case Manager, Jasmine. She chose the CodeTalk Pathway because of her children, particularly her eldest, an eighteen-year-old daughter with special needs.
“My daughter uses a tablet for school every day,” says Shardan, “and with what I’m learning at CodeTalk, I’m better able to support her technology needs. It’s a new, exciting world to be a part of!” Nancy similarly thought of her son. Not only was she already interested in tech, but she sees the stability of the field as crucial for building a solid future for her almost four-year-old.
Nancy’s Story
Nancy had a great life: she was working as an account manager at an e-commerce company, earning a steady paycheck, happily married, and had a healthy baby on the way. When her baby was born, though, he wasn’t eating properly or staying on the growth chart, which scared Nancy. Then, her husband’s actions towards both her and her son started causing her concern. Negative comments turned into yelling and verbal abuse.
To make matters worse, the pandemic struck, and her entire department was laid off – while she was on maternity leave! Stress and instability turned into abuse, and Nancy was forced to flee with her son. But with the pandemic ramping up, it was difficult to find childcare, housing, and employment. Fortunately, she had a friend in Covina who she could stay with, and after a year, found childcare. But when her friend lost their house, she was forced to seek refuge at Union Station Homeless Services.
Graduating from CodeTalk has given both Nancy and Shardan hope.
Shardan says, “I’m believing in myself more. The program gave me a boost of confidence going into this tough field and being able to get a career that is stable. It means I have hybrid options, or less hours for the same pay, and I can give more time to my kids. l want to be able to work and also watch them grow up.” They both found strength and solidarity with each other and their fellow classmates. Seeing other mothers take the leap to build their families’ futures gave them confidence and inspiration.
Now, having graduated from CodeTalk, both moms are taking more courses and trainings to keep themselves sharp and prepared for the job hunt. Nancy particularly enjoyed the ‘scrum master’ (project master of web development) elements of the training curriculum. She is working toward certification in this role. She also learned the value of team-based work. “It’s so much fun to work together on projects,” she marvels. Both Nancy and Shardan agree that despite the program being virtual, the classes were a unique opportunity to socialize with others outside their circle and connect with those who understand the struggle of being a working mom.
When asked their biggest strengths, Nancy and Shardan’s answers were identical: eagerness to learn and persistence. It is this attitude that has led these incredible women to where they are today, and we take great inspiration from them and their journeys.
Thank you, Nancy and Shardan, for sharing your stories and congratulations on your graduation!
