Success Stories

FROM CLIENT TO LEADER: ANGELA TOLLETT

EIGHT YEARS before Angela Tollett became executive director of the TAUW partner agency, Wagoner Area Neighbors, she desperately needed its services to receive school supplies and clothes for her then 9-year-old son.

Wagoner Area Neighbors provides food, clothing, and financial assistance for prescriptions, utilities, gas vouchers, and rent. It also offers fresh produce available every day from Walmart and Feeding America.

When Angela arrived at Wagoner Area Neighbors eight years ago, she was a single mother living with her son in low-income apartments.

“I didn’t have any aspirations,” Angela said. “I was just living paycheck to paycheck day-by-day.”

But then she struck up a conversation with a Wagoner Area Neighbors staff member working in the clothing department. They both realized Angela would fit in perfectly with the nonprofit. Not long after, Angela got a job working in the clothing department, too.

Eventually, Angela worked her way up from handling clothes to handling client intake.

“I have a particular way of talking with the clients and relating to them,” Angela said.

During her first three years at Wagoner Area Neighbors, Angela’s son was among the children who had a holiday wish list on its Angel Tree.

Angela Tollett and her son, Blake “The one thing that he got from the Angel Tree that I was most excited about — I don’t know about him — was he got a really nice coat and a set of coveralls,” Angela said. “That was something that I could never afford at the time, so that was a real blessing.”

To improve her one-on-one client intake skills, Angela enrolled in college. She’s now in her third year working toward a degree in sociology and a minor in psychology.

“Working at Wagoner Area Neighbors has completely changed my life,” Angela said. “I want my son to know that no matter how bad things can get, no matter how it feels like you have no opportunities, and you’re going nowhere, there is a chance, and there is hope. I mean, if I can go back to college in my forties and get through it and excel, then he can do anything.”

TRAINING EAGER EMPLOYEES FOR WORKFORCE NEEDS: N’DEA OSBORN

IT MIGHT SEEM a little out of the box that an 18-year-old would be motivated to begin a career in manufacturing, but N’dea Osborn loved welding and CNC work. The problem was, N’dea didn’t know where to begin her technical training. That’s when she turned to Tulsa Community WorkAdvance, a TAUW partner agency.

Tulsa Community WorkAdvance (TCW) is a sector-focused workforce development initiative helping hundreds of Tulsa-area residents build stable and productive lives. TCW’s innovative approach works to understand employer’s skill gap needs and connect individuals to free technical training, full-time job placement, and career advancement coaching. When N’dea arrived at TCW in February 2021, she went through its orientation, skills assessments, and practice job interviews. She showed maturity beyond her years and a drive that continues to serve her well.

Joe Hegg of GD Energy Products with N’dea After N’dea’s training ended, the TCW Business Services team sent her resume filled with newly acquired skills to GD Energy Products.

Joe Hegg, Operations Manager at GD Energy Products, interviewed N’dea for the job. Immediately following the interview, Joe called TCW to report the good news — N’dea got the job.

N’dea has been with GD Energy Products since August of 2021. She has surpassed every goal and expectation set before her. She’s even passing seasoned machinists in knowledge and skill.

Emily Walker, who worked closely with N’dea at TCW, said, “I’m so proud of N’dea. She accomplished her independence goals, is engaged to be married and she is truly a TCW success story - we can’t wait to see how far she goes.”

EDUCATION, FAMILY SUPPORT, AND GIVING BACK: NICKOLE

PARTNER AGENCIES like Street School and City Year are providing Tulsa students the resources they need to graduate high school and contribute to Tulsa’s strong and vibrant community - benefiting us all.

For Nickole, that opportunity meant finding a school that understood her needs as a teenage mom and a service experience where she could give back to the same community that served her while gaining valuable work skills.

Nickole’s Graduation

At age 16, Nickole knew staying in school was the second most crucial thing after taking care of her son. Through her intensive learning structure at Street School, Nickole was presented unique opportunities to develop skills in teamwork, leadership, and communication all while learning about the opportunities in the world.

Nickole’s son was only a week and six days old when she began her first day of class at Street School.

“I missed him so much, but I liked going to Street School because it was very welcoming,” Nickole said. “I had all the support systems I could ask for. The staff was caring, and it was like going to my second home.”

From Street School to City Year

Today, with a four-year-old son, a high school diploma, and a second year of service at City Year, Nickole leads a team of fellow City Year AmeriCorps members. Each year, diverse teams of City Year AmeriCorps members work to ensure that every student has access to the resources and support they need to graduate from high school.

City Year works alongside teachers and schools to provide additional opportunities in the schoolhouse, like after-school programs, a positive school climate, and individualized tutoring. Nickole has spent the last year and a half building relationships with students at Kendall Whittier Elementary. She is now applying her skills from Street School to impact these students.

“I love working for City Year because I love their mission,” Nickole said. “I’ve always wanted to serve in my community and work with children. At City Year, I get to do both while growing my professional skills.”

The impact of Street School’s additional adults in the building led Nickole to serve at City Year, bringing similar resources to her students. At the end of this year, Nickole plans to attend college to become a teacher one day herself.

“After working with children in a classroom,” Nickole said, “I know this is where I belong.”

REMOVING LANGUAGE BARRIERS AND BRINGING CALM: PEDRO

THE PANDEMIC

created a fear of isolation. A language barrier only worsened the dire situation, especially in healthcare. But during the height of COVID in Tulsa, Pedro Martinez, of Morton Comprehensive Health Services, brought a sense of calm and peace whenever he stepped into the room to translate the doctor’s words into fluent Spanish. Immediately, the patient understood the doctor’s comforting words, “I know you’re afraid, but we’re going to get you the help you need.”

For over 90 years, Morton Comprehensive Health Services has provided medical, dental, and ancillary services to individuals regardless of one’s ability to pay for services.

As a child, Pedro received healthcare from Morton. Today, he serves as a Patient Access Representative trained as a medical translator. His translation role is essential for those who do not speak English or do not have family members to help translate for them. He has served in this critical role since 2020. “I try to be there from the beginning of the patient’s appointment until the end to make sure that they don’t forget they have someone here they can count on,” Pedro said.

His personal mission is to help remove the medical language barrier to help ensure all people have access to affordable primary health care at Morton Comprehensive Health Services.

“I treat everyone like family,” Pedro said. “I’ve had patients who stayed away from doctors because they didn’t have an interpreter. So, every time they come into Morton, they tell me, ‘Thank you. We wouldn’t know what to do without you’.”

And Pedro wouldn’t know what to do without Morton’s frontline workers. He calls them “heroes.”

Dr. Susan Ann Mehnert-Kay is one of Pedro’s heroes, and she considers Pedro a hero as well.

“Pedro came to us during the pandemic, and he was one of the first people to jump in the COVID room when we didn’t even know what COVID was,” said Dr. Mehnert-Kay. “He would jump in there and take care of our bilingual patients and try to ease their fears and translate for them. I don’t know what we’d do without him, honestly.”