Parkes was working at when she became pregnant. When she was on maternity leave, she decided to enroll in NCCTI to obtain her MAC certification. Her cousin completed the MAC program and encouraged her to apply. In order to focus on her education, Parkes quit her job at Summit Health and started working for an hospital on the weekends.

���I had the support of my family, so that helped me be able to succeed with the program,��� Parkes said.

She had been unable to enroll in school previously because she was caring for her parents when they fell ill. Her siblings all live out of state, so she was the person who took her parents to medical appointments and testing. Her husband stepped in to help so that she could focus on her studies, which was a great weight lifted off her shoulders.

���I spoke to my husband about [enrolling in the program]. He���s like, yeah, go ahead. We���ll take it day by day and we���ll figure it out,��� she said. ���And I���m happy and thankful that I did because I love what I do at my job.���

Parkes now works as a medical assistant in an RWJBarnabas Health multi-specialty pediatric office in West Orange, which offers care in cardiology, urology, allergy and general surgery. She enjoys working with the children and putting them at ease during their appointments. If she has an anxious cardiology patient, she will let the child put on and take off the EKG stickers before starting the procedure so they know what to expect.

���I try to make the experience most comfortable for them. To where they���re leaving all happy,��� Parkes said. ���That makes my day.���

Her experience in her current role has inspired her to become a pediatric nurse. She enrolled in ���s nursing program for the fall. She will retain her current job and attend school part-time. She hopes to eventually work in a pediatric emergency department or a pediatric unit in a hospital.

���Those kids need that proper nursing where they���re not going to get upset with what���s going on with the child. They���re going to find the best way to help them heal,��� Parkes said.

She said her experience at NCCTI was positive and she recommends the school to anyone interested in launching a career in health care.

���The staff was amazing. The program was amazing,��� Parkes said. ���Being able to do book work and hands-on was great because we weren���t being thrown out there when we got to a doctor���s office or hospital, not knowing what was going on.���

Instructor Dr. Mamdouh Sorial prepared students for both the certification exam and the work world, according to Parkes. She said he broke down the steps of the medical procedures and provided little tricks to help students remember what to do.

NCCTI Interim Director Frances Teabout is happy the school has been a positive part of Parkes��� journey.

���At NCCTI, we aim to help our students launch their careers in their preferred program of study. It���s fulfilling to hear that Ms. Parkes has found meaningful employment and is continuing her education to further her career goals,��� Teabout said. ���We wish her great success going forward.���

Parkes lives with her husband and 1-year-old son and has two step-daughters, ages 10 and 5, who live with them part-time.

She is excited to be taking the next step in her educational journey and is thankful to have had NCCTI lay the foundation for her success.

NCCTI is an accredited post-secondary career and technical institution that is currently enrolling for the following programs: Automotive Technician, Medical Assistant Clinical and Patient Care Technician. For more information, call 973-824-6484, email nccti@newcommunity.org, log onto or visit 274 South Orange Ave., Newark.

91心頭 Board of Directors Chairman Dr. A. Zachary Yamba has retired from his position with the organization, effective Dec. 31, 2023. Yamba joined the Board in September 2012 and became Chairman in June 2018 following the passing of NCC founder and Board Chairman Monsignor William J. Linder.

Yamba was involved with 91心頭 long before his official capacity as a member of the Board of Directors. He was a parishioner of Queen of Angels Church where Monsignor Linder served as priest during the founding of 91心頭. He had been asked to join the Board prior to 2012 but declined because of his employment responsibilities. After he retired, he joined 91心頭���s Board of Directors.

He has enjoyed being able to give back to the community through his work on NCC���s Board.

���The myriad of services that 91心頭 offers are critical to the total well-being of the community. And that has been my passion all along,��� Yamba said.

During his service with the Board of Directors, Yamba oversaw the re-syndication of NCC housing, helped lead the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, established Board committees to have closer working relationships with NCC leadership staff, assisted in the re-accreditation process for , led NCC through times of leadership transition and helped relaunch the organization���s Golfing for a Cause fundraiser following the pandemic.

NCC Interim Board Chairman Edgar Nemorin said Yamba has been an ambassador, advocate and steward to 91心頭.

���As Board Chairman, he successfully ensured that 91心頭 continued its mission of providing services to the residents of Newark,��� Nemorin said. ���Although he has resigned as a Board Member and Board Chairman of NCC, we know that he is only a phone call away to assist us in fulfilling our mission.���

Under Yamba���s direction, the Board worked with senior leadership after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the health and safety of NCC employees, residents and clients while maintaining the necessary services to the community. He also led the organization through two leadership transitions: the passing of Monsignor Linder and the retirement of CEO Richard Rohrman. He was instrumental in the search process for NCC���s current CEO Simone Gagneron.

���Dr. Yamba defines what it means to be in public service. The dedication and support he has provided to 91心頭 and the people of Newark is extraordinary,��� Gagneron said. ���He has clearly set the stage for others to follow. I would like to thank him personally and professionally for his guidance.���

Yamba said 91心頭���s mission is just as relevant today as it was in 1968 when the organization was founded and that its offerings continue to be vital.

���It���s my hope and prayer and certainly part of Monsignor���s vision that these services will continue to be provided as long as we have people who need them,��� Yamba said.

In addition to his work with 91心頭, Yamba has served the community in a variety of roles in the areas of education and community development.

Yamba is President Emeritus of . He served as President from 1980 to 2010, which is the longest tenure for that position at the school. He was also involved with the institution well before leading it. Yamba joined the humanities faculty when the college opened in 1968 and served as Dean of Faculty before he was appointed President in May 1980.

Current Essex County College President Dr. Augustine Boakye said Yamba strengthened the community through his work.

���Our Essex County College family and the Essex Community owe Dr. Yamba a debt of gratitude for enriching our lives and making education the cornerstone of community engagement and development,��� he said.

Yamba served as a commissioner of the for more than a decade and is a founding member of the , an affiliate of the of the . His other past affiliations include serving on the boards of the Essex County WIB, Newark Downtown Redevelopment Corporation, American Conference on Diversity, Christ the King Prep Academy, Council of Higher Education in Newark (CHEN) and . He is also an Emeritus Board Member of .

���For decades, Dr. A. Zachary Yamba has been one of Newark���s great educators and activists. Whether as President of Essex County College, Chairman of the 91心頭 Board or Commissioner of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, he has mentored and inspired his colleagues, students and residents of our city. His legacy is firm in the hearts and minds of the generations he empowered in his many endeavors,��� said Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. ���As Dr. Yamba enters this new phase of his life, we thank him for his leadership and service to Newark, and wish him joy and success for the future.���

Victoria Foundation Executive Officer Craig Drinkard said the City of Newark, Essex County and the State of New Jersey are all better places because of Yamba���s leadership.

���His tireless and regal service to Newark and all of humanity spans decades and has helped to transform the lives of countless individuals and families,��� Drinkard said.

President and CEO Vivian Cox Fraser said Yamba has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to advancing opportunities for families.

���As President of Essex County College and his leadership on the Board of 91心頭, Zack never lost sight of the people he was there to serve and help.���

A graduate of , Yamba was awarded honorary degrees from his alma mater, and the in Ghana. In 1980, Yamba, an All-America soccer player, was inducted into Seton Hall���s Athletic Hall of Fame.

helped Bere pursue her passion through training in the Culinary Arts Specialist program. She had a friend who was in NCCTI���s Patient Care Technician program who recommended the accredited school. Bere called NCCTI for more information and enrolled. She was in class from March to September 2021.

Bere excelled in the Culinary Arts Specialist program and upon completion, was offered a job at . She started in a part-time position in October of 2021 but quickly transitioned to a full-time role. She currently works the 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. shift, preparing dinner for the residents of Extended Care.

Bere enjoys the work and finds the schedule convenient for a culinary career since she has a 4-year-old son.

Her favorite part of the job is working with her colleagues.

���It���s like a family,��� she said.

91心頭 Food Service Director Nelson Gibson calls Bere a great product of NCCTI and an asset to his department.

���She is always positive with her attitude, very well-liked by the staff, a very pleasant person and a skilled cook far beyond her years,��� he said. ���It is always a pleasure having her on staff because she is a team player and always goes above and beyond her duties.���

Bere has been surrounded by cooking since she was young. Her mother had a restaurant in Africa, where she was born and raised. Bere came to the United States in 2013 at the age of 20. Before starting classes at NCCTI, she worked as a cashier in a New York restaurant.

She had a positive experience as a student at NCCTI. While she already knew how to cook, the school expanded her repertoire of dishes since she mainly cooked African food. The Culinary Arts Specialist program introduced her to American-style cuisine, some of which she had never made before.

NCCTI Culinary Arts Instructor Samuel Gaddy said Bere was a model student and that Extended Care is lucky to have her on staff.

���Ms. Bere is an awesome cook with a vibrant personality to match. Her positive energy and her ability to absorb her training here at NCCTI made her the perfect candidate for any job in the food industry,��� he said. ���We lucked out and acquired a great asset to our team.���

NCCTI Director Dr. Sylvia McCray is happy that Bere has been able to use her certification to launch her culinary career within 91心頭.

���I was pleased to learn that Ms. Bere was able to showcase her talent, skill and knowledge. And bring it forward to Extended Care,��� McCray said. ���She has shown a clear connection between the work and dedication to learning, a necessary component to reach set goals.���

The educational foundation Bere received at NCCTI, along with the experience she is getting as a professional cook at Extended Care will help her achieve her ultimate goal.

���One day in the future, I want to open a restaurant,��� she said.

Bere is grateful to have found 91心頭 for her education and the start of her culinary career.

���NCC helped me a lot,��� she said.

NCCTI is an accredited post-secondary career and technical institution that is currently enrolling for the following programs: Automotive Technician, Building Trades Specialist, Medical Assistant Clinical, Patient Care Technician and Culinary Arts Specialist. NCCTI also operates a comprehensive Financial Opportunity Center and Bridges to Career Opportunities Program sponsored by the local and national Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) offices. For more information, call 973-824-6484, log onto or visit 274 South Orange Ave., Newark.

91心頭 Extended Care is a skilled nursing facility located at 266 South Orange Ave., Newark. For more information, visit or call 973-624-2020.

Coote focuses on finding permanent housing for Harmony House residents in her current role. She goes out in the field to find apartments and researches as much information as possible about subsidized housing, low-income housing, affordable housing and market rent rates in the area. In addition, she provides resources to help clients obtain employment and creates individual service plans for them.

Finding permanent housing that clients can afford is challenging.

���It���s very difficult because we���re in an era where the demand is so high but the supply is extremely low,��� Coote said.

She doesn���t let the circumstances discourage her, however. She is continuously looking for ways to help her clients move to self-sufficiency and has helped several move into permanent housing.

Harmony House Director Yonette Fredericks said Coote came to the department with optimism and an eagerness to help clients overcome their barriers to obtaining permanent housing.

���Ms. Coote, willing to pitch in wherever she is needed, continues to be a beacon of hope for the clients and, ultimately, her peers,��� Fredericks said. ���The Harmony House team is pleased to have such a bright and tenacious Relocation Case Manager who continues to demonstrate the passion and commitment to aiding the fight against homelessness.���

Coote has always been passionate about helping others. In her free time, she fed the homeless and hosted clothing drives. She grew fond of 91心頭 and its mission when she began volunteering at the Family Resource Success Center. Director Joann Williams-Swiney suggested that she apply for a job with the organization and provided her with a recommendation.

���Emily was and is courteous and kind to every client she encounters. She is straightforward in a respectful way which fosters a connection with the clients she works with. She is a go-getter and a determined young woman who cares about those in her community,��� Williams-Swiney said. ���Emily truly embodies the mission of NCC.���

Coote decided she wanted a career in social work shortly after starting her post-secondary education at Essex County College. Coote���s mother, who passed away when she was born, was a social worker. When she was 19, Coote learned about her mother���s career and the passion she had for helping others. She was told firsthand accounts of how her mother had helped people and made a positive difference in their lives. It was then she decided to pursue social work as a career. After , Coote attended and graduated with a major in social work and a minor in women and gender studies.

Coote previously worked at in Summit in an administrative role. After the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she took a job as a tool rental associate at , where she rented out equipment and demonstrated how it worked to customers. She enjoyed the position but wanted to find a role to use her social work degree.

The best part of the job for Coote happens when a client thanks her and understands the services she is providing.

Coote is grateful that Harmony House exists in the area because it offers private space for families, which is rare. Most shelters have communal areas instead of individual units with private kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms.

���I tell the clients all day that this shelter is considered the W [Hotel] to any other shelter in this city and in this county,��� she said.

In addition to privacy, Harmony House residents also have access to all the other services 91心頭 provides, including mental health counseling from Family Service Bureau of Newark (FSB); free tax prep, furniture assistance and energy bill assistance at the Family Resource Success Center; and educational services from .

Coote doesn���t limit her contributions at Harmony House to her official duties as a Relocation Case Manager. She also pitches ideas for events that she coordinates if they get approved. Right before Valentine���s Day she arranged for licensed individuals to provide haircuts and hair braiding for Harmony House children.

���I like that Ms. Fredericks allows me to bring in some ideas and actually execute them,��� she said. ���It was a real success.���

Coates first learned about NCCTI from his guidance counselor at KIPP Newark Collegiate Academy, located on Littleton Avenue in Newark. He graduated from high school in 2018 and had been working a variety of jobs including at moving companies and landscaping. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he wasn���t sure what to do. He reached out to his former guidance counselor who provided him with several options. One of them was enrolling at NCCTI.

���NCCTI was a definite option for me and it seemed like the best program possible with something that was needed in my life at the moment,��� Coates said.

Before he enrolled, Coates learned his grandfather had been diagnosed with cancer and he wanted to educate himself to be able to help in any possible way. He decided to join the PCT program to be able to care for his grandfather.

���Unfortunately I wasn���t able to even show him the skills I learned or help him out because he died about a week before I graduated. But it opened up more for me because that���s what gave me the idea to take it as far as I can,��� Coates said. ���It started out as me just wanting to help him out and now it opened up the door for me to be in the medical oncology space.���

Prior to his graduation in May 2021, NCCTI personnel helped Coates get a job as a patient sitter at University Hospital. In that role, he did one-on-one interventions with patients. During his shift, he would sit with a patient, watch TV and play games with them and speak with them. He found the job beneficial because he was able to get used to the hospital setting and interact with patients.��

Once Coates graduated, University Hospital promoted him to Patient Care Technician. He does a variety of tasks for patients and nurses, including helping patients to the bathroom, feeding them, cleaning and drawing blood.

���I enjoy it a lot,��� he said.

He now has aspirations to become an Assistant Director of Nursing. He���s currently working to start prerequisite classes at Essex County College so he can get an associate���s degree in nursing and progress from there.

���I am so proud of Mr. Coates and all our students graduating from NCCTI,��� said NCC Chief Operating Officer and NCCTI Interim Director Fred Hunter. ���Our graduates are leaving school with the knowledge needed to be successful in their chosen program area.���

Coates felt prepared to enter the workforce after graduating. Because of the pandemic, he participated in a hybrid program where he had in-person instruction two days per week and conducted the rest of his learning on the computer. He said this schedule was beneficial because he does computer work as part of his job and was grateful for the additional practice.

PCT Instructor Dr. Maha Koltowski believes that Coates has a bright future ahead.

���He was attentive and hard-working,��� she said.

Coates is happy with his current path and attributes his success to NCCTI.

���I want to thank the staff. They really changed my life,��� Coates said. ���Everybody showed a tremendous amount of love and gave me so much hope doing this program at a time that was hard for me. They were just so loving. They made me want to come to school every day. I���m just appreciative of them.���

He is also working to pay it forward. His supervisors asked if he knew of any other NCCTI graduates looking for work. He reached out to Koltowski to see if anyone needed assistance getting connected to University Hospital.

���I���m more than willing to help because they helped me so much and I just want to be a bridge,��� Coates said. ���Somebody had to help me so there���s nothing wrong with reaching back. I want to help.���

NCCTI is an accredited post-secondary career and technical institution that offers the following programs: Automotive Technician, Diesel Technician, Building Trades Specialist, Clinical Medical Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Community Healthcare Worker, Culinary Arts Specialist and Business & Computer Technologies. NCCTI also operates a comprehensive Financial Opportunity Center and Bridges to Career Opportunities Program sponsored by the local and national Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) offices. For more information, call 973-824-6484, log onto or visit 274 South Orange Ave., Newark.

Lavel Chambers and Denayah Reese were classmates in the Patient Care Technician (PCT) program at NCCTI. They completed the program in 2019 and both found employment at Clara Maass Medical Center. Both women have worked at the facility since getting hired, throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Now they are both enrolled in classes at Essex County College where they are pursuing additional degrees to advance in the area of nursing.

Chambers plans to enroll in a licensed practical nurse (LPN) program and then obtain her bachelor���s degree and become a registered nurse (RN). Reese hopes to become an RN and ultimately a nurse practitioner (NP), which is an advanced practice registered nurse who is trained to assess patient needs, order and interpret diagnostic and laboratory tests, diagnose disease and formulate and prescribe treatment plans. An NP requires a master���s degree.

���Lavel and Denayah are examples of how NCCTI���s Patient Care Technician program serves as a starting point for our graduates looking to continue to pursue a career in health care. They are examples of staying true to the concept of career growth, moving up the career lattice,��� said NCCTI Director Rodney Brutton. ���The sky is the limit for Denayah and Lavel because of their strong work ethic, their commitment to succeed and willingness to grow professionally.���

Their experience at NCCTI launched their careers and opened their eyes to the potential in the health care field. They received compliments from their instructors and their Clara Maass coworkers that encouraged them to pursue additional education.

Both Chambers and Reese credit their instructors at NCCTI with helping them succeed on the job.

���The hands-on training was an A+ for us,��� Chambers said. She explained that when she first started working at Clara Maass, she immediately had to draw blood and perform EKGs, two of the skills she learned at NCCTI, without any on-the-job training.

In addition to the mechanical workings of phlebotomy and EKGs, Reese said PCT Instructor Dr. Maha Koltowski also taught students about bedside care.

���She taught us how to properly go in and talk to the patient. She taught us how to clean them,��� Reese said. ���Everything she taught us helped.���

Chambers works as a nurse���s aide in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Clara Maass Medical Center. Her job responsibilities include drawing blood, taking blood pressures and temperatures, cleaning and repositioning patients and transporting patients to other units. She has worked throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and has seen many COVID-positive patients.

Reese is a nursing assistant on the cardiac floor at Clara Maass Medical Center. She takes vital signs of patients, EKGs to check their hearts, draws blood, transfers patients to the operating room and discharges patients, which is her favorite task.

���My favorite part of my job is seeing the patients go home because I know that my coworkers and I did a great job caring for the patient,��� she said. ���I love to see them go home. I like to see them get into the car with their families and hug them. It���s a good feeling inside.���

Both women entered the health care field because of their experiences as children with family members. Chambers went to work with her mother, who served as a home health aide, as a child and remembered seeing her mother help those that needed assistance.

���To see the love and compassion that she had for her patients, I wanted to do the same thing,��� Chambers said. ���And then I want to pursue more education because she never finished going to nursing programs. So I���m trying to live for both of us.���

Reese cared for her grandmother when she was younger and helped other older relatives as well. Now she is furthering her education because she wants to make an even greater impact on patients.

���I have a passion for this deep down. I feel like I���m not at work, I���m at home. Like I leave home to go to my real home,��� Reese said.

The commitment and enthusiasm for the field shined through when they were students at NCCTI. Both women attended class regularly, even amid some difficult circumstances. Chambers was working an overnight shift at FedEx while in the PCT program, which meant she left work at 6 a.m., took her children to school and then went straight to NCCTI for a full day of instruction. Reese had just turned 18 when she enrolled and was caring for a young son. But both were dedicated to earning their certifications.

���Lavel Chambers and Denayah Reese were good listeners in class. They were hard-working ladies with humble spirits. Both were attentive to the reviews at the end of the module, and they never got bored repeating the review more than once or twice. They were always following my coaching,��� said PCT Instructor Dr. Maha Koltowski. ���I kept telling them they have to further their careers because they are able and it is worth it.���

Both women agree that pursuing degrees is worthwhile and are excelling. Chambers has been inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success, the nation’s largest leadership honor society, and is on track to graduate from Essex County College with an associate���s degree early. Reese plans to begin the nursing program at Essex County College in the fall of 2022.

They each have families to tend to as well. Chambers has been married for 13 years and has four children ranging in age from 3 to 10. Reese has a 4-year-old son.

NCCTI staff members take an interest in students, understanding their circumstances and helping them on their path. That type of attention is welcomed by students.

���Everyone at NCCTI is caring and has compassion for everyone,��� Reese said. ���I didn���t think that they would actually take the time to care what my name was or anything. They came to the class every day making sure everyone was OK. And then the other resources helped too to actually get to school and stay in school.���

Resources including financial coaching, transportation vouchers and food assistance are accessible to NCCTI students to help them on the road to success. They are able to access those resources after they finish their program as well.

Students in NCCTI programs can expect to remain in contact with school personnel long after graduation.

���We as a school follow up and track our graduates to see how they���re doing. We have retention services to see if they have any career growth,��� Brutton said. ���It���s that holistic approach to helping our students, not only while they are here but as they transition into the workforce and remain in the workforce.���

Chambers and Reese are great examples of NCCTI fulfilling its mission to improve the quality of life of all students through education and occupational training in a community that fosters life-long learning.

NCCTI is an accredited post-secondary career and technical institution that offers the following programs: Automotive Technician, Diesel Technician, Building Trades Specialist, Clinical Medical Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Community Healthcare Worker, Culinary Arts Specialist and Business & Computer Technologies. NCCTI also operates a comprehensive Financial Opportunity Center and Bridges to Career Opportunities Program sponsored by the local and national Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) offices. For more information, call 973-824-6484, log onto or visit 274 South Orange Ave., Newark.

���She loved that job so much,��� said Cunningham���s sister Marjorie Scarder. ���She was so dedicated to 91心頭 at every level.���

Scarder said Cunningham would work late during the week and on weekends to assist residents. And she always had a smile and a kind word to share.

Extended Care Administrator Veronica Onwunaka said Cunningham���s passing is a huge loss for the facility.

���I always call her the best social worker in the whole tri-state,��� Onwunaka said. ���She would go above and beyond. She would go to the resident���s apartment and clean it up for them, set it up for them, so they would be comfortable when they went home. The love of these residents was a priority in her heart and in everything she did.���

Cunningham���s kindness extended beyond her work at Extended Care, according to Scarder.

���She was a very kind-hearted person. She would give you the shirt off her back,��� Scarder said. ���She is my younger sister but she acts like she���s my older sister.���

Scarder is reminded of Cunningham when she sees items Cunningham gave her. Because Cunningham was such a generous person, Scarder has items throughout her home from her sister.

Cunningham lived in Orange with her adult son upstairs while Scarder lived downstairs. The sisters were very close, with many strangers mistakenly thinking they were twins.

���We were always together. If they see one of us, they���re like, oh where���s the other?��� Scarder said. ���I miss her. I cry every time I think of her. It���s been so hard.���

Cunningham came to New Jersey at the age of 18 from Jamaica and began working in a factory. She decided to go to school and attended Essex County College and Kean University. After obtaining her degree, she worked at a welfare office for a time before finding the position at 91心頭 Extended Care Facility, which she loved.

Scarder said Cunningham was extremely faithful to her job and was even talking about it before she was admitted to the hospital.

���She was sick and she was still thinking about work,��� Scarder said.

Cunningham leaves behind her son, three sisters and two brothers. Because she passed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and many of her relatives live in New York and Massachusetts, her family plans to hold a memorial service in her honor in April 2021 to coincide with the first anniversary of her passing.

Hamidu began his studies in Ghana, West Africa, where he was born and raised. When he came to the United States in 2018, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in the medical field in this country. He was living with his cousin at the time and spoke about his goals. His cousin, who is a nephew of 91心頭 Board Chairman Dr. A. Zachary Yamba, suggested NCCTI and brought him to the school.

When he saw the facility and learned more about the Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) program, Hamidu decided to enroll to take the first step in his medical career.

It was a decision Hamidu is happy he made. He graduated from the CMA program and began working at RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group in October 2019. He is a medical assistant and works out of three doctors��� offices: in Newark, Clark and Edison. As part of his job, he checks patients in and out, checks their vital signs, takes their medical history, draws blood and conducts in-office tests including rapid strep and flu tests.

���Once you find yourself doing what you want, there is nothing to complain about,��� Hamidu said.

While he enjoys his work, Hamidu is continuing his education. He is currently taking prerequisite courses at Essex County College at night and hopes to transfer to Rutgers University to pursue a premed bachelor���s degree. Though he hasn���t decided what area of the medical field to specialize in, he is interested in the area of cardiology.

���Sakirudeen is bright and has a wonderful future in the health care field,��� said NCCTI Director Rodney Brutton. ���He brought his prior educational experience with him to NCCTI and his willingness to share his knowledge to enhance the learning experience of his classmates should be applauded.���

Hamidu said the environment at NCCTI was a perfect fit for him. He said his instructor, Dr. Seham Abouelhassan, was exceptional, making sure students understood the topics and providing a warm and welcoming classroom.

���When I had to speak in class, she made me comfortable,��� Hamidu said. ���She helped me a lot.���

Abouelhassan said Hamidu was one of her best students.

���Sakirudeen has proved to be responsible, punctual and meticulous, always willing to learn and showed great potential in both academic and practical skills,��� she said. ���Sakirudeen is diligent and motivated to achieve his goals. He has a pleasant personality and he gets along with others so his classmates liked and respected him. I know that he still has more ambitions and I know he will be fulfilling them soon.���

Working a full-time job and going to school isn���t easy, but Hamidu is used to juggling school and work. When enrolled at NCCTI, he attended class during the day and worked a night shift. After finishing a shift, there was no time to sleep. He would shower and go right to school. Though it was a difficult schedule, he said it was what he had to do to fulfill his goal.

���I tried to be consistent and just sacrifice and go to school,��� he said.

The hard work paid off and with the help of NCCTI staff members, Hamidu was able to secure full-time work in his field of study.

���I just came to this country. I didn���t have any job experience. They helped me with my resume,��� Hamidu said. ���And they helped me with getting my job.���

NCCTI provided Hamidu with a recommendation and guidance prior to his interview, which helped him get hired.

Because of his positive experience, Hamidu recommends NCCTI to his friends and anyone interested in continuing their education.

���NCCTI has been a great start for me,��� he said.

NCCTI is an accredited post-secondary career and technical institution that offers the following programs: Automotive Technician, Diesel Technician, Building Trades Specialist, Clinical Medical Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Community Healthcare Worker, Culinary Arts Specialist and Business and Computer Technologies. NCCTI also operates a comprehensive Financial Opportunity Center and Bridges to Career Opportunities Program sponsored by the local and national Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) offices. For more information, call 973-824-6484, log onto newcommunitytech.edu or visit 274 South Orange Ave., Newark.