Fabiola Damas is a fine example of a hard working trainee at the Long Beach SIATech site. A resident of San Pedro, California, Damas has met and overcome many obstacles throughout her life: a rough childhood, the wrong crowd, and some wrong choices in life led her to eventually drop out of high school.  Damas remembers, “I was watching television when I saw the commercial for Job Corps. It really got my attention….  I knew that this was the only opportunity for me to start all over again.” She made a call, and a few days later, she was accepted into Job Corps.  

Though an intelligent, unique, and determined student who wishes to succeed in the “real world,” Damas, in the past, was not always confident that her efforts would be met with success.  Though her past led her in the wrong direction, she was ready to welcome necessary change to ensure her personal success in life.  Because of Job Corps, Damas believes she is at last on the road to realizing her dreams. 

She never thought the day she would earn her
high school diploma would become a reality.

At the Long Beach SIATech site, all her teachers have amazing things to say about her work ethic. Ms. Bradley, an English teacher, describes her as, “a positive individual, full of perseverance, and one who leads by example.” Other teachers describe her as a kind-hearted, considerate, and respectful individual. In class, Fabiola Damas represents the poster child of a great student.

In her past, she never thought the day she would earn her high school diploma would become a reality. "I thought I was never going to make it, but I have gotten this far. I am very proud of myself." Her motivation to stay on track came from her many role models at the SIATech Long Beach site. Ms. Kelly (Science), Mr. Abdel (Math), and Mr. Rico (Creative Tech/Senior Projects), all instructors at SIATech Long Beach, are amongst the many mentors that have helped Damas along her journey. According to Damas, these teachers kept her focused and on track with her academics and never gave up on her. 

She says, "People tend to give up on other people very easily, but not the SIATech staff." During her SIATech career, Damas says, "[she] experienced many things, easy and hard, but managed to get through them no matter the situation." Ryan Pikes, a fellow trainee of Damas, praises her, saying simply that, "She is awesome! She is focused, determined, and she inspires others to do their work. What I like about her is that she can make a mistake, not give up, and just keep going. Not a lot of people know how to do that."

Though Damas carries with her the harder lessons of her past, she looks forward to the future. For the upcoming years, she has strong aspirations to attend college and desires to become an ultrasound technician.