Success in the Works

Viviana (Vivi) Molina

“I have always wanted to help little kids,” says Viviana (Vivi) Molina, a 2018 Millard South graduate. “That [desire] grew into helping people of all ages.”

Molina, presently working at full-time at Brookstone Village, a skilled nursing center in Omaha, and going to school full-time at Metropolitan Community College to obtain her Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) certificate, found her early inspiration in a “little cousin who has Down’s Syndrome.”

“He motivated me,” Molina said.

While enrolled in the Avenue Scholars Foundation program at Millard South, Molina earned a Certified Nursing Certificate (CNA) license through the Senior Academy program.

Gabriel Paz

It’s seldom difficult to find Gabriel Paz, a 2018 Omaha Benson High School graduate. Whether at Cornhusker International, Metropolitan Community College, or his home, Paz will be under the body, or under the hood, of a diesel truck or his vintage 1978 Monte Carlo.

Paz attends school full-time at MCC, and when’s not in class, he’s working at Cornhusker International.

“They looked at my class schedule, and then said when I’m not in class, I can come in to work at ‘such and such’ times,” Paz said. “When I’m not working or not going to school, I’m working on my car.”

By May, Paz plans to have an Associate Degree in Diesel Technology. As a certified diesel mechanic, he hopes to get a job in a Freightliner company in Corpus Christi, Texas, where his uncle is a foreman.

Kate Gordon

For Kate Gordon, a 2016 Omaha Central graduate, the Avenue Horatio Alger Career Scholarship is a “life changer.”

For Kate Gordon, a 2016 Omaha Central graduate, the Avenue Horatio Alger Career Scholarship is a “life changer.”

The scholarship and the opportunity to enroll in an internship program at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska have given Gordon hope and motivation to pursue a career in the insurance industry.

Carlos Jeronimo Ramirez

Carlos Jeronimo Ramirez, a 2016 Omaha Bryan graduate, is already building an impressive resume in the construction management industry — well ahead of obtaining his Associate Degree in Construction Management this May.

During his high school summers Ramirez roofed houses, working for Absolute Construction, A&P, and Apple Roofing. Now, as a paid intern for Legacy Homes, he is honing his skills in framing, demolition, and other facets of home or residential construction.

“Carlos has been a pleasure to have around,” said Doug Larson, a Legacy Homes builder. “It’s not just here. He has been utilized all over town for work in single frame and in [multi-family dwellings] row houses. Recently, I gave him the responsibility of checking and preparing the framing and seals for inspection. He passed with flying colors. Not many get passed on first inspection.”

Alejandro Cardenas

Sometimes it’s just that little push from a persistent mentor that makes all the difference. For Alejandro Cardenas, a Claims Processor at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska, that support from his former Avenue Scholars Foundation advisor at Omaha Bryan was exactly what he needed to stay on the path to a successful career.

“Mrs. Christensen (former Career Coach Emily Christensen) knew how to push me,” Cardenas said. “She was very supportive. She made me think more critically about my decisions.”

One of those decisions was to attend Metropolitan Community College to get an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice, which he accomplished in 2014. Cardenas continued his education at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Science in Criminology, with a minor in Sociology, in 2017.

Myaha Tovar

Myaha Tovar, a 2015 Millard South graduate, has truly appreciated the help from her friends at Avenue Scholars Foundation — whether that be mentoring support, career advice, or financial aide in the form of a scholarship. Avenue Scholars helped Tovar get on the fast path to a career in nursing at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, starting with obtaining her CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) certificate as a high school senior.

Alecia Johnson

There’s no holding back 17-year-old Alecia Johnson, an early graduate (December, 2017) of Omaha Northwest High School. Enrolled in Welding Technology classes at Metropolitan Community College, Johnson has her sights set on working for Distefano Technology & Manufacturing in Omaha as soon as she completes her 12-week certification program. While working, Johnson will continue the coursework necessary to earn an Associate’s Degree from MCC.

Johnson first became aware of the potential for a career in welding during a job shadow experience her junior year at Northwest, and she “really liked it,” despite the intense heat’s negative impact on her long hair and newly painted fingernails.

Emmanuel Kate

Consider walking a mile, or make that 6,314 miles, in Emmanuel Kate’s (in French the last name is pronounced Ka-tay] shoes. That is the estimated distance from Kate’s boyhood home in Togo, West Africa, to Omaha, Nebraska.

His father who was already working in the United States as a driving instructor brought Kate to Omaha in 2008, when he was 8 years old. He enrolled in Omaha Public Schools in fourth grade at Sunny Slope Elementary, where through the benefit of the ESL (English as Second Language) program, television and conversations with classmates, he mastered the English language in one year. Nine years later, Kate has graduated from Omaha Burke High School and is now enrolled at Metropolitan Community College. The Avenue Scholars Foundation program has enabled Kate to now focus on becoming part of Omaha’s work force.

Adriana Chavez-Perez

“They don’t let you stop!”

For Adriana Chavez-Perez, that never-give-up attitude instilled in her through Avenue Scholars Foundation staff has been the key factor in her rise to a full-time, good salary position at Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Chavez-Perez was promoted to Coordination of Benefits Specialist, a position that provides a $35,000 salary. She says her ASF High School and Postsecondary Career Coaches and Student Support Coordinator gave her the push she needed to succeed.

Eddie Munoz

Eddie Munoz, 19, has taken the phrase “starting from the ground up” to a new level. A level below ground.

Since March, one of the requirements of his job with GBA Architects & Engineers has been to go down manholes under Omaha’s city streets to inspect pipes and report any problems pertaining to the flow or structure. After spending hours inspecting pipes, Munoz returns to the GBA office building to assist with designing pipe networks.

In May 2017, Munoz, a 2015 Millard South graduate, received an Associate’s Technician Degree from Metropolitan Community College where he emphasized his course work in civil engineering.