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MediWork$ gave direction and a new career to former graphic designer
Growing up in San Francisco and West Los Angeles for most of his life, Michael Mikael always thought of himself as an artist. “I enjoyed doing more creative stuff…more artistic endeavors,” he says. This carried on to his college life, when he went to Loyola Marymount University to study fine arts and communication. After graduation, he worked as a a freelance graphic designer for 10 years, creating logos, posters and websites for…
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ImagingWorks showed Irene Gomez the road to her new career
Irene Gomez is a graduate of ImagingWorks , JVS SoCal’s earn-and-learn program that prepares participants to join the healthcare industry as Patient Services Representatives (PSR), DEXA Technicians, and MRI Tech Aides. Before enrolling in the program, she was working in hospitality, serving as an usher for a large events venue in Downtown Los Angeles. The work was seasonal, and the pay wasn’t enough to cover her living expenses, which made her fall into…
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Helping others inspired Rosario Bejar to become a Certified Nursing Assistant
Having been raised by parents who lived with chronic health conditions, Rosario Bejar is no stranger to healthcare. As she watched her parents’ health fluctuate over the years, she became increasingly interested in matters of aging and disease. When her mother passed away, Rosario’s interest began to feel insufficient—she wanted to do something to carry through this knowledge. “I always wanted to be a nurse,” she…
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Community is everything for this East L.A. apartment maintenance technician
Andrew Amador knows what it means to show up for his community. Raised in the heart of Boyle Heights, he was shaped by the very people he now serves– through coaching, mentoring, tutoring, and simply being present. “It’s my purpose,” he says, “to be an asset to my community.” Still, the purpose doesn’t always pay the bills. And the desire to give back doesn’t negate…
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HealthWorks helps Ukrainian engineer start over in new career
When Nina Krachun arrived in Los Angeles with her husband and two teenage children, she faced the daunting task of starting over. Back in her home country, she had worked as an engineer—a respected profession that gave her purpose and stability. But in the United States, she found herself beginning again from the very first…
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Jose Moreno returns to claim his Apartment Maintenance Technician Certification after fight against cancer
Before joining JVS’s ApartmentWorks program, Jose Moreno had already gained some experience in maintenance. He previously worked at Daiso, a retail store, assisting his supervisor with various facility maintenance tasks. Jose learned a great deal from his former supervisor, who was certified in both HVAC and electrical work. However, after his supervisor left the…
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Nelson Gomez steps into the medical imaging industry through ImagingWorks
Twenty-five-year-old Nelson Gomez was working as a caretaker through an in-home supportive services agency. He liked working with people, but he wanted to advance his career by focusing on healthcare. In his search for training opportunities he learned about ImagingWorks, JVS SoCal’s program in partnership with RadNet. The program would train him to become a…
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This former custodian proves it’s never too late to become a Certified Nursing Assistant
You could say that nursing runs deep in Demetryce Johnson’s family. Her mother and older sister are both registered nurses. After working as a custodian in a Los Angeles County rehabilitation center for 19 years, she decided it was time to follow in their steps. “I was around nursing a lot,” says Demetryce, “It gave…
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BankWork$ opens door for graduate’s path to becoming a mortgage loan officer
Before enrolling in the JVS SoCal’s BankWork$ program, Angel Mendoza was juggling various jobs while studying for the NMLS exam to become a mortgage loan officer. Driven by a strong sense of purpose, Angel’s long-term goal was clear: “I want to represent the unrepresented when it comes to housing.” She viewed access to housing as…
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JVS Bay Area and JVS SoCal partner to offer medical imaging job training program for the first time in the Bay Area
ImagingWorks is an on-the-job training program designed to prepare participants for in-demand medical imaging technician careers; applications are now open for the October 2025 cohort SAN FRANCISCO, August 6, 2025 — JVS Bay Area, a nonprofit working to close opportunity gaps in employment, announced today the launch of ImagingWorks, an 11-week medical imaging career training…
