YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – At 67 years old, FloEtta Jordan swore she would never be going back to school.
Burned out like so many skilled nurses after helping others during the Covid-19 pandemic, Jordan retired and took care of her mother. But within the same year, she lost her mother and two of her children.
She was already counseling those struggling with addiction at her church, and going to Flying High, a workforce development organization, for an accelerated course to become a certified chemical dependency counselor gave her the chance to find her purpose and passion again.
“Pupose gives you something to aim for, to fly,” Jordan said, speaking Thursday at a ceremony for the graduates of Flying High’s Professional Development Center. “Purpose is an opportunity for success. Passion is what keeps you excited about and focused on purpose no matter what happens.”
Jordan had her own medical hurdles even while she attended the program. But she did not let that deter her and kept showing up.
“When something happens, it’s an event, a development that doesn’t define me,” Jordan said. “It’s an opportunity for success, which better equips me to benefit others.”
Jordan plans to do peer support in January and is considering renewing her nursing license to make herself more marketable.
Flying High celebrated 38 people with a new purpose Thursday. Certifications included welding, carpentry, certified nurses aid and chemical dependency counselor.
Kirsten Peoples, a young first-time mother, has been sober for two years after going to Glenbeigh for help. As she recovered, she was encouraged to also get certified as a chemical dependency counselor. As a stay-at-home mom, she at first saw it as a way to get out of the house. Now she works at Glenbeigh helping other young mothers like herself.
“Pregnancy and childbirth is one chemical change, and getting off of substance is another chemical change,” Peoples said. “So it can be very difficult.”
Wesley Grider came to Flying High through the Eagles Nest program. He described his life years earlier as a supportive father, but bad habits and bad relationships sent him on a journey that negatively affected his home and professional life.
“The Eagles Nest program has definitely helped me sharpen the old tools and gave me some new tools through their trade program, which will help invest in my future,” said Grider, who earned his carpentry certification.
He credited the people in the program for providing these resources through their own sense of wanting to give back to the community and help others become successful.
“Flying High gives you the ability to ride on the wind currents of life and enables you to rise above the storms so that you can soar, as Mr. [Jeff] Magada said, like an eagle,” Jordan said.
During Thursday’s event, Magada, founder and director of Flying High, presented the Eagle Award to John Demmler, president and CEO of 717 Credit Union.
Demmler encouraged the graduates to create an emergency fund and work toward rebuilding their credit month by month. He also talked about how much the world needs them and the skills they have gained.
“We need welders to build our infrastructure,” Demmler said. “We need carpenters to build our homes. We need CNAs to care for our parents and grandparents, and we need counselors to heal our neighbors. Walk into those jobs with your head held high. You earned your seat at the table. You earned this certificate and you earned a future that belongs entirely to you.”
Pictured at top: FloEtta Jordan speaks during Thursday’s graduation ceremony.