ACCESS AND SUCCESS FOR STUDENTS
WHEN TYSLY BUTLER’S JOB OF ALMOST 20 YEARS WAS ELIMINATED IN WAUKEGAN, SHE WASN’T SURE HOW TO PROCEED. “HOW DO I SUPPORT MY FAMILY?” SHE THOUGHT. Butler decided to return to school to learn new skills to start her career working in the in-demand healthcare field of phlebotomy. But after making that decision, she faced a separate challenge: “How am I going to afford it?” College of Lake County was the answer, she determined, thanks to the Workforce Equity Initiative (WEI) program, which focuses on removing barriers between students and their aspirations. For Butler, CLC’s WEI grant funds covered her tuition, fees and books for phlebotomy classes and provided stipends designed to cover costs such as transportation and childcare, while providing wrap-around support to ensure her academic progress. “BEING PART OF THIS PROGRAM MEANT I WOULDN’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HOW I WAS GOING TO AFFORD MY CLASSES,” BUTLER SAID. “IT EASED MY FINANCIAL BURDEN. THEY EVEN OFFERED RESOURCES THAT HELPED ME WITH TECHNOLOGICAL SHORTAGES AND FOOD INSECURITY.” Butler chose the phlebotomy program because she could complete it within four months and work in the field immediately. She received a job offer before she completed her clinicals.
Butler shared her experiences with attendees at CLC’s Fifth Annual State of the College Address, held at the Eleanor Murkey Community Center at the Lakeshore Student Center in October 2023. Butler acknowledged the support she received from CLC phlebotomy instructor Angela Norwood who helped her gain skills that have put her on a path of continued learning. “BECAUSE OF CLC AND THE WEI PROGRAM, I AM NOW WORKING AT A HOSPITAL AS A PHLEBOTOMIST. I AM NOW COMPLETING MY BACHELOR’S IN SCIENCE AND PSYCHOLOGY AT UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE. IN A FEW YEARS, YOU CAN CALL ME DR. BUTLER.”
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