When Sandy was 18 years old, she immigrated to the United States from Mexico with her parents. She faced the struggles of learning a new language, culture, and making new friends. Although Sandy felt lost in the Bay area, she enrolled in an ESL course and learned English to help with her transition.

Years later, Sandy moved out of her parents’ home, got married, and started her own family. Her husband worked two jobs that provided more than enough for her family’s needs. Then, suddenly her husband left and Sandy became a single mother caring for two young children. She had no direction in life, felt miserable, and eventually lost her self-esteem and confidence.

Sandy applied for CalWORKs benefits and was connected to the FRC Working Wellness Team (formerly the Family Service Team) which provided a multi-disciplinary approach to helping Sandy overcome barriers to employment. Sandy started working with a therapist, an employment counselor, and a SparkPoint financial coach. She felt the FST believed in her and gave her the support and motivation she needed. Then, the FST introduced Sandy to a training program that would change her life – BankWork$, a free, 8-week training program designed to prepare participants for a career in the banking industry.

Sandy was accepted into the BankWork$ program and learned the basics of the financial industry, bank products, regulations, as well as soft skills, dressing for the work environment, and interviewing techniques. What motivated Sandy the most was going on field trips with her classmates to local banks with her classmates, meeting bank employees, and asking lots of questions. After these field trips, she felt excited about her future profession and started regaining her confidence.

Sandy was selected by her classmates to be the student speaker representing them at the BankWork$ graduation ceremony. In her emotional and heartfelt speech, she shared her struggles of being a single mom raising two young children, how she felt depressed after her marriage ended, and how BankWork$ renewed her confidence and spirit.

Immediately after the graduation ceremony, the graduates interviewed with local banks who were onsite for the event. Wells Fargo hired Sandy as a Bank Teller and within three months she was promoted to a higher position as a Personal Banker. Sandy enjoys her job and loves sharing her success story with others.

“With the right resources, support system, and motivation, anything is possible. There are no boundaries in what we believe. I chose to believe in myself.”

Sandy is grateful for the support and guidance received from the FRC and FST teams and continues to work with the SparkPoint financial coach toward her goals.