‘Nothing can stop you:’ Katrina Banks on how Career Academy changed her trajectory

“I just took a chance and went with it.”

After spending time with various jobs, such as warehouse work and daycare services, local Memphis resident Katrina Banks was forced to step back.

With her grandmother needing more assistance aging in place, Katrina took on many caretaker responsibilities. Without questioning herself, she immersed herself in learning the best techniques to provide intentional, detailed, and loving care. After a friend introduced her to HireLocal, Katrina saw a pathway to turn her senior care skills into a career and provide even better care for her grandmother.

“I was happy to handle most of my grandmother’s care, but I wasn’t thinking of a career shift,” Banks said. “After my friend introduced me to HireLocal, I saw a path to provide sole care of my grandmother and also for a career. I needed that extra push.”

Our Career Launch Academy was a vital resource for Katrina. She had not been working for six months prior due to solely caring for her grandmother. Our program helped bridge gaps in her training and better prepare her for job interviews.

“I had not worked for about six months before I started with HireLocal,” Banks said. “It helped ease me back into the job mode and gave me some pickups and little tips to take along with me. And that helped me in the interview process.”

After completing our Soft Skills portion of the eight-week program, Katrina moved to clinical skills training. Soon after graduation, Katrina passed her CNA exam and began the interview process.

Earlier this year, she landed a role on the surgery floor working with cardiac patients at Methodist Hospital as well as a position at a nursing home.

 “It’s hustle and bustle,” Banks said. “But I get to work primarily with seniors, which is my focus.”

Her heart remains in senior care, and she sees these roles as stepping stones to furthering herself in that field.

“I’m currently looking into nursing school, as Methodist offers great tuition reimbursement plans,” Banks said. “After that, I eventually want to start my own practice focusing on senior care.” 

We’re deeply proud of Katrina’s hard work and success since completing our program. But her extraordinary journey is far from over. 

To others thinking of pursuing a career in the medical field, she encourages people to be bold and shove doubt to the side.

“Just go for it,” Banks said. “I’ve talked myself out of a lot of situations and a lot of opportunities in the past. Just go straight ahead. Nothing can stop if you just believe in it.”

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