Jessica Bachman is a 29 year old, formerly incarcerated woman who has proved that employment can change your life. She completed the CEO program in August 2008 after maintaining 365 days of full-time employment. Once released from parole, Jessica decided she wanted to give back to others who found themselves in a similar situation as hers. Jessica has has been working at CEO as Job Coach/Job Developer for over a year.

Shanika Carter is 31 years old and enjoys spending time with her dog Diamond, and her girlfriend, Yolanda. She has enrolled at the CEO Academy, a CEO program that provides individuals with recent convictions the opportunity to learn and become certified in a skilled-trade. Shanika has earned certifications in shop-safety and plumbing and is currently employed full-time at a shelter for domestic abuse victims providing maintenance services.

Revond Cox is 25 years old and lives in Queens with his parents and his son. Revond recently landed a full-time job and still comes to CEO for post-placement services, including taking advantage of retention incentives. Revond is also an active spoken word artist and performs whenever he can.

Baron Johnson is 23 years old and lives in the Bronx with his family.  He is the father of four young daughters that he says, “are the world to me, very smart and respectful.” He has graduated from Life Skills Education at CEO and is currently working on transitional job sites while looking for full-time, permanent employment. Along with being actively involved in the Young Parenting Demonstration Program at CEO, Baron is currently enrolled in the GED class, a new opportunity CEO is offering for young adults.

Ramayana Jones is 41 years old and lives in Brooklyn. Since being assessed Job Start Ready at CEO, Ramayana has been working diligently on the transitional job sites while looking for a full-time job. He knows first-hand the difficulty of explaining his conviction to potential employers. “I went on an interview and the employer went straight to my conviction.” Being at CEO, participants are advised on how to answer the conviction question in an appropriate way.

Vanessa Lugo is 43 years old and lives in the Bronx; recently she moved into her own apartment after living in a shelter and achieving sobriety for a full year. Vanessa went through the CEO program and is currently employed full-time, usually working the night shift. She is passionate about movies and likes to spend time with her mother.

Julio Panchon is 29 years old and lives in Brooklyn with relatives. He went through the CEO program and is currently employed in a full-time job. He is certified in HIV counseling and building maintenance. Julio’s interest in obtaining a certificate in HIV counseling was motivated by a family members passing away from HIV/AIDS when he was young and wanting to learn more about the disease so he could eventually help others. Julio plans to attend college in the fall and wants to double major in business management and psychology. Upon landing his full-time job, Julio was happy but is “still looking for a career. It’s just a stepping stone.”

Wesley Thompson is a 26 years old and completed the CEO program in 2007 by maintaining 365 days of continuous full-time employment. Since then he has enrolled in college and invested in numerous entrepreneurial endeavors. Once released from parole Wesley decided he wanted to give back to others like him. He applied for a position at CEO and has been working with the organization since 2009, most recently as a Retention Specialist.

Charles Wise is 40 years old and lives in a three-quarter house in Brooklyn but soon expects to be moving out on his own. He has completed Life Skills and is currently working on the transitional job sites while looking for full-time employment. This summer Charles will apply for school to study computer science, a hobby he picked up in prison that he hopes to make a new career.  He enjoys spending time with his friends, working on computers, playing video games, visiting museums and parks as well as taking in the various free activities New York City has to offer.

Snapshot Project

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