Kaskaskia College held a dinner and ceremony on Thursday for students who completed certificates through the Workforce Equity Initiative. 14 students were recognized at the ceremony and 25 in total were awarded certificates this fall in fields including carpentry, culinary arts, nursing, welding, and commercial driving.
WEI staff member Cheryl Boehne acted as emcee for the event. In an interview, she explained how the initiative allows those without financial means to pursue a short-term education they can immediately use in the workforce.
“The WEI program is a state grant, and the focus is to put racial minorities into short-term certificates and get them out into the job force as quickly as possible,” Boehne said. “We also want to make sure they are earning certificates that can help them provide a good living wage to help them in being fruitful citizens in their communities.”
Several students gave speeches during the ceremony describing the impact the WEI program has had on their education and careers. Mercedes Miller, a culinary student, said WEI had helped her and her sister find work while earning their certificates.
Mercedes Miller talks about earning her culinary certification and employment with the help of the WEI.
“One area that the WEI staff helped us that we were very grateful for was helping us get our jobs,” Miller said. “They help us apply and do the resume. We got the job after a week of applying and we’ve been working there since the summer. With my certification from the culinary program, I am up for the position of cook full-time.”
Welding student Ashan Gibbs said the support of the program allowed him to balance difficult life circumstances while furthering his education.
Ashan Gibbs says the Workforce Equity Initiative made his education at KC possible.
“The challenges of balancing school, a new baby, and a surgery at the beginning of classes were very overwhelming. I hadn’t been in school for fifteen years, and so it was exciting to be doing something new, but it was difficult finding balance… school wasn’t in the cards for me until this program offered help with tuition, gas cards, food cards for long days away from home, and progression stipends which helped to alleviate some of the financial burden along the way.”
Nickeshia Steiner, who completed the LPN program, said WEI’s financial assistance covered expenses both in and out of school.
Nickeshia Steiner says the program helped her handle unforeseen expenses.
“I faced significant challenges, including tuition fees for prerequisite CNA and nursing courses,” Steiner said. “The WEI team not only covered these costs, but also provided me with textbooks, uniforms, and support for any unforeseen challenges, such as assisting me with car repairs so that I could attend classes regularly.”
Below is the full list of students who received certificates on Thursday, by program:
CNA:
Tanisha Battle, Hayden Bell, Virginia Bryant, Casey Fenton
Carpentry:
Jonathan Briones, Kiwan Brown
Welding:
Ashan Gibbs
LPN:
Alexis Massey, Nickeshia Steiner
Culinary:
Mariah Miller, Mercedes Miller, Matthew Patrick, ShayMaria McGee Holmes
Truck Driver Training:
Jonathan Sanchez
Kaskaskia College has had the WEI grant since 2021 and will keep it through September 2025, with the hope of continuing to renew it in the future. Those interested in the Workforce Equity Initiative or wishing to apply can visit the Kaskaskia College website.
