In 2018, when Richard Ramsey enrolled at The Excel Center®, Goodwill’s high school for adults, he didn’t know that he was taking the first step toward meeting his future fiance. 

Indianapolis Metropolitan High School, a best-fit school for grades 9-12, not only supports students with barriers, but also places an emphasis on ensuring students enroll in college or enter into a career that offers a living wage post-graduation. To achieve this, the school often finds intuitive ways to support students’ career development. The certified nursing assistant (CNA) course offered through Indy Met is a perfect example.

Shonda Russell, MPA has worked at Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana for nearly seven years. During her tenure, she has made contributions to both our mission and education divisions, including as an employment specialist at TalentSource and life coach at The Excel Center. 

February is Black History Month, and Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana is proud and excited to celebrate its Black and African American leaders, mission participants and students. Shannon E.G. Brown is a shining example of a strong, inspiring leader who joined Goodwill Education Initiatives nearly three years ago.

When Teresa Smith joined Goodwill Commercial Services in 2009, she was re-entering society and the workforce after a period of incarceration and a decade-long addiction to methamphetamine, which led to her losing custody of her son. Her history with the criminal justice system made it difficult to secure a job, but she approached the opportunity at Goodwill with a focus on improving her professional skills and rebuilding her life. 

Byron Pillow Jr., 23, was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. As a teenager who struggled with multiple learning disabilities, school wasn't a priority for Pillow, despite having support from his family. 

Born in Mexico, Imelda Lopez lived far away from her local high school, and due to transportation barriers, she never attended. She moved to the United States as a teenager, was married at the age of 16, had her first child at 17, and then four more after that. To help support her family, she always worked. She was employed at a factory for 10 years, but the work became too taxing as she grew older. 

Imagine being denied a basic education unless you pledge allegiance to political beliefs that you do not ascribe to. This is what Rizan Hajji Mohamed faced when he was forced to flee his home country of Syria. 

Nicole Castro learned to be independent at a very young age. As a child, her parents faced severe legal trouble. In an effort to remain undiscovered, they pulled Nicole out of school at just seven years old. At 16, after years of instability and moving from place to place to avoid the authorities, Nicole decided to strike out on her own. While her peers were planning for prom and school sporting events, she was preparing to start a new life. Soon after, she met and married her now-husband, and they started a family together.

It’s not every day that you meet someone who can say they are still in love with their career after more than two-and-a-half decades. Then again, it’s not every day that you meet someone like Felicia Harrison.