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Ethan- An Aspiring Auto Mechanic in Lansing

Ethan- An Aspiring Auto Mechanic in Lansing

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Before joining the Right Turn Program back in August 2016, Ethan was a homeless, unemployed, teenage parent of two who had recently been expelled from the Lansing School District. Ethan was referred to the Right Turn program at Peckham Inc. through “Stepping Up Together”, a program for teen parents, knowing he could receive the support necessary to return to school, find housing, and find employment to support his two young sons.
Since enrolling in the Right Turn program, Ethan was matched with a Right Turn Mentor, began renting an apartment in his own name, earned his GED, and has been working a full-time job in addition to a part-time job. Ethan’s Right Turn Case Manager and Mentor have provided Ethan with many supportive services such as GED preparation materials, the financial means to take his GED exams, bus passes to get to and from work, and even diapers for his two sons. Ethan also completed a Right Turn Restorative Justice Program in September 2016 making blessing bags of hygiene products for local homeless people for a community nonprofit agency called the “Homeless Angels”. Ethan also participated in a “Back to School” shopping spree sponsored by Right Turn to get clothing for the upcoming school year.
One year after joining the Right Turn program, Ethan earned his GED. Since then, he has been thinking a lot about his future; thinking about what great milestones he can achieve next. He is currently working towards getting his driver’s license and has looked to Right Turn to help him enroll in Lansing Community College to further his education. Ethan is interested in a career in Auto Mechanics, a career he has hands-on experience with growing up working on cars with his family members. Right Turn organized college tours for Ethan to explore auto mechanic schooling and speak with workers in the field. Ethan and his Right Turn Mentor have begun exploring scholarship opportunities as well as grants and financial aid that will help him reach his career goals.
Ethan currently works at Party City and the Quality Dairy convenience store. He has been utilizing a budget he developed with his Mentor to help him manage his money and care for his sons. Right Turn has been able to help Ethan maintain employment by providing him with bus passes, assistance in creating and updating his resume, and guiding him with job application completion.
The Right Turn program says, “Ethan has been a pleasure to work with and the Right Turn staff is very proud of all of his hard work and accomplishments. Ethan has become a great advocate for himself and asks questions of his mentor as they arise in order to reach even greater accomplishments. Ethan is motivated by his past experiences and the Right Turn staff is excited to see what Ethan accomplishes in the future!”

For more information on Peckham, Inc., click here.