- There's always going to be barriers.

You'll get discouraged because it's human of us to be discouraged, but don't give up.

(beep) (hand-clapping music) (beep) My name is Rebecca and I work in construction and I work with A & A Wall Systems.

(pop piano music) A & A Wall Systems is a drywall company.

And we hang, we frame and we finish drywall.

I realized what I really wanted to be around the age of 10 or 11.

I wanted to build, but I didn't know the actual way that I would be able to.

My grandfather was a contractor.

So I was with him a lot at different sites and I pretty much wanted to do what he did.

(somber piano music) I left home at 16.

I had to start working.

Then I had to get a GED 'cause high school really wasn't a part of the picture any more.

And before I found a job, I kinda allowed the streets to guide me down the wrong path, as I would say.

And that landed me in jail.

(brooding electronic music) For me, there were so many doors shut in my face and I try to stay positive but there's a point where you, you just get tired.

And with those doors being shut in my face were more opportunities I felt like for me to just go back to what I was doing, which led to more charges and being incarcerated and just a revolving door that was never ending.

(somber piano music) There is no excuse as to gettin' in trouble.

I take full responsibility on that.

You, you work the dead end job until you find better.

Wanting more is okay, but working for it is better.

So you don't lose time out of your life.

(upbeat music) I discovered CityLink with the CEO program, which is a re-entry program from prison.

And you pretty much saved my life.

(upbeat electronic music) They motivated me to keep a job and the CEO program they showed me how to really interview, how to present myself.

They showed me how to, you know, own a room.

(heavy rock music) - I didn't have any transportation.

I was catching buses and taxis to get from where I needed to go.

They helped me get a car.

So I was able to hold a job with that because I was able to have reliable transportation.

(upbeat electronic music) I obtained my OSHA 10, my N-C-C-E-R and there were so many more.

I've graduated, almost all the classes.

(soft ambient music) It was residential, commercial, industrial.

It's great.

It's better than the fast food restaurants and doing housekeeping.

It's more satisfying.

And I feel like I'm paid for my worth now and making a more money than I've ever made in my life.

And I'm proud of my work.

I can sit back and look at my work after I'm done.

And like, I really did that.

And that's a really good feeling.

(energetic ambient music)