Domonika’s journey with Goodwill Kentucky started through word of mouth. After being laid off and navigating a justice-involved background, she took a leap of faith and connected with the Paducah Opportunity Center, where she was guided through job-readiness training that helped her discover her strengths, potential, and ultimately changed her life.
“I learned so much about myself, how I can better myself, how I can apply the skills I learned there to get into better opportunities—It was just an eye-opener,” she said. “Everyone there has been so supportive of every decision that I make and has given me the faith to believe in myself. They keep me going.”
With encouragement from Goodwill staff, including Stuart, Margie, Kaitlyn, LaToya, and Amelia, whom she calls “my people,” Domonika pursued new opportunities and gained employment with the City of Paducah.
Recently, Domonika received a grant through the Paducah Opportunity Center from the United Steelworkers (USW) and is currently furthering her education with help from the grant, studying industrial maintenance technology and exploring a future in engineering.
“I didn’t feel alone anymore,” she said. “I felt very understood. I made a wrong decision when I was younger, but after going through the program and learning that’s not who I am, I knew there was hope for me. This isn’t the end of the road. I can be anything I set my mind to.”