For Otilia Cruz perseverance is the most important trait in her life.
An immigrant from Mexico, she moved to the United States when she was 19 years old. She attended school to learn English and worked three jobs to get by. For many years, Otilia worked as a housekeeper to raise her three children, she adopted two more after her sister’s passing. Later she decided she didn’t want to be a housekeeper anymore, even though it was flexible. “That was very helpful, raising my kids because I was able to do it while my kids weren’t in school. And this opportunity came out and I just took advantage of it,” remembers Otilia.
She had studied chemistry and biology during her school years in Mexico with the intention of becoming a Registered Nurse.
Otilia went through health problems of her own, which made her more motivated to pursue a career in the medical field, something that had been at the back of her mind since her youth.
“I have this empathy for sick people because I have gone through my own health problems and I know how they feel,” adds Otilia.
When she found out about HealthWorks, the eight-week cost free program that prepares students with the fundamental knowledge to work in the healthcare and senior care industries as a Certified Nurse Assistant, Otilia worried about her language skills.
During her training, she admits to having to Google medical terms for translation. Otilia’s resilience, reinforced with the help of the program’s training staff, made her dream become a reality. As a matter of fact, it was what kept her going. “I always practiced whatever I was learning and that never stopped me from working or doing anything.,” said Otilia. It gets easier for whoever doesn’t speak English perfectly or doesn’t have this medical term vocabulary.
The HealthWorks program not only gave Otilia a new career, but it also changed her perspective of life. It also gave her the confidence that at one time she thought had lost after moving to the United States.
“Even though you’re older, because I’m older, I’m over 40, single mom, you can have all these barriers, language barriers, but coming in and just exposing yourself to a new environment and learning more, that gives you so much confidence,” Otilia continues. “I felt like I was ready to go find a job, with new skills, with ready, I was trained properly.”
At present, Otilia works as a CNA at the UCLA Medical Center, one of JVS SoCal’s employee partners in HealthWorks. She is very satisfied with her job and is looking forward to advancing in the industry.
“Even though we work 12 hours a day, three days is our full-time job.  I feel very happy,” shares Otilia. “The environment is very healthy. We have constant training. I get my hours to get to renew my license. You always learn, and I like it a lot.”
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