John’s Story

“Avivo gave me the confidence I needed to move forward into an honest lifestyle.”

A new chance was exactly what John needed. His childhood was rough, and he became withdrawn and angry. He spent his younger years on the wrong side of the law.

“As soon as I got of legal age, I was in and out of jail constantly,” John says. “I was always in trouble. In and out of treatment centers.”

“As soon as I got of legal age, I was in and out of jail constantly.”

According to John, only one year of his childhood didn’t include turmoil, which happened to be the only year he did well in school. “In the summer between 8^th and 9^th grade a church recognized my need for intervention, and helped send me to camp,” he says. “After that, my grades went up to As and Bs.”

It took John a few decades to find that same joy in learning again. He found it when he entered Maintenance Custodial Skills training at Avivo Institute of Career and Technical Education. That’s when he knew he’d turned a corner in his life.

“My test scores at Avivo were pretty wild; I got a lot of 100 percent scores. I had perfect attendance,” John says. “Avivo gave me the confidence to study and learn, and get into a regimen.”

“Avivo gave me the confidence to study and learn, and get into a regimen.”

John worked with his instructor to prepare for, and earn, his Boilers License and Certified Pool Operator credentials. Then, he worked with Avivo staff to create an updated resume, highlighting his new skills and credentials. John started receiving interview calls as soon as he sent out applications.

He was recently hired for a position through a facilities maintenance company, and is proud of how he overcame adversity to succeed. John knows his life change didn’t just fall into his lap; he had to work hard for it. “Change isn’t overnight … Avivo showed me I could be better than I was.”