Cool Women

Mandy Wooster

Before Mandy participated in Step up to Law Enforcement, she had been laid off from Husky Manufacturing, Inc. It was thanks to a knowledgeable Veteran’s Affairs representative that she found out about our program. Today she’s a multi-tasking career woman and mother, who was getting her daughter off to the school bus while speaking with us recently.

After completing Step Up to Law Enforcement, Mandy was hired by the University of Vermont Police Services and completed the sixteen-week Police Academy. Things continue to look up for her career in the field of law enforcement, as she was just promoted to Sergeant!

Mandy would encourage any of her friends to take part in the VWW programs. She’s happy with her decision, because she really enjoys what she does now.

“It was a very supportive group, and it was the best preparation for navigating the law enforcement application process, including the tests for the Police Academy.”

Flinda Horton

Flinda learned of our Step Up to Painting program after searching the internet for opportunities to expand her career options. Her children are grown and she decided it was time to challenge herself in a new field. Flinda wrote on her application, "I want to do better for myself; I don't always want to be a cashier. I want to depend on myself and not on the state for help." Flinda really enjoyed the program and has found her niche, having found steady work with two VT painting contractors immediately after her Step Up program concluded. Her favorite memory of her time in the program is painting at the Children’s Aid Society on the first day. Since then she has completed several commercial painting contracts across the state.

Flinda is a passionate ambassador for VWW, campaigning for several of her friends to attend our programs and even volunteering her time to help paint VWW's new office space in Winooski. Step up to Painting has given Flinda the inspiration and confidence to start her own business. Her next big project will be to gain the business skills to launch her own painting company.

“I have learned that I DO have the strength and the abilities to do whatever I put my mind to. My goal was to stay in the program and to stay focused, to learn, to not be afraid of things anymore, to gain strength and become more dependent on myself.”

Nadia Khan

Nadia’s path to Step Up involved earning an English degree and working in a health store. She is smart, ambitious, and willing to put in the “sweat investment” required to realize her dream of becoming an ecologically sound master carpenter and furniture maker.

After graduating from Step Up, Nadia worked for Womenbuild, an all-women construction crew. She advanced from crew member to crew leader as her skills were refined. Nadia then completed an internship at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Warren, Vermont where she learned about sustainable building and woodworking. She has worked as a carpenter at Black Horse Builders in Charlotte, Vermont and for Red House, Inc. in Burlington.

As she looks toward to the future, Nadia hopes to divide her time between green building projects and fine furniture making. She is particularly interested in building unique structures; there may be a grand, eco-treehouse in her future.

“Step Up reminded me that we are all capable. All we need is motivation and an opportunity. Step Up was that spark that lit a fire inside me.”