Mirella Martinez came to the PA CareerLink® Lehigh Valley on October 6, 2010. She was 21 years old, unemployed and the single parent of two children, ages three and one. Mirella was deficient in basic math skills, lacked job skills, and was in debt. Mirella’s personal life was also in a shambles, coming out of a relationship marred by domestic violence and her boyfriend’s drug use. He is currently incarcerated in state prison for drug convictions. Despite these hardships, Mirella graduated from high school on June 18, 2010.

As a former caregiver for elderly family members, Mirella took an interest in a healthcare career. She worked in the PA CareerLink®’s computer-assisted learning lab to improve her basic skills. Her diligent work with the KeyTrain® remediation software enabled her to attain the WorkKeys® scores needed to attend Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) training. Mirella enrolled at the Lehigh-Carbon Community College on June 6, 2011 and successfully completed the Nurse Aide Diploma Program on July 11, 2011. She also earned her State Nurse Aide certification on October 13, 2011. On November 28, 2011, HCR ManorCare hired her as a CNA earning $14.50 per hour. She enjoys her job and looks forward to working fulltime at the next available opportunity.

Mirella had to grow up fast, learning the hardships of raising children at a young age and says she would not recommend it to other young women. She has been on a journey of healing, self-discovery and rebuilding her self-confidence; she is grateful for a second chance. “The program changed my life,” said Martinez. “I can now start to pay off my bills and give my children a stable home.”

Mirella planned to marry in two to three years, but her fiancé was unexpectedly deployed to Afghanistan. They married on January 23, 2012, and he left a week later for Afghanistan.

Mirella is happy these days – she has her children, a job and a new husband. She wants to set an example for her children that “perseverance and determination will see you through all of life’s accomplishments and setbacks.”



This award was presented by Pennsylvania Partners and the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.