From Pupil to Teacher

Heaven Sims is currently the Electrical Instructor at the Gary Job Corps Center. Her journey started in San Angelo. After graduating from high school, her future had no focus. She was working at Wienerschnitzel, thinking that was going to be her forever job. According to Sims, a close friend of hers was talking highly about the Gary Job Corps Center in San Marcos, and they came to a mutual agreement to come together. However, he did not come and Sims did. Further, Sim’s Aunt was a graduate taking the Office Administration Course and currently a successful Computer Programmer, which made her want to enroll even more. In 2019, after 18 months of hard work, Sims graduated from the Electrical and Building Construction Trade. She went to work in San Antonio at LED Electric as an Apprentice Electrician working on many sites: pole lighting, HEB stores, various Texas Road House Restaurants and local hospitals.

Sims is now teaching those same skills at the job corps that she previously was trained in.

“Job Corps is what you make of it,” Sims said. “I have been real fortunate that now I have the opportunity for that forever job, an occupation that challenges me and now being an instructor I can share with students the decisions that I have made. Students have the opportunities, it is up to them to take it and that is why I am here”.

Job Corps training tomorrow’s workforce today. For further information call 800-733-JOBS (5627) or visit gary.jobcorps. gov.