Foster care training program helps Oakland woman find her independence
Ericka Ramirez Mendoza always dreamed about helping those in need.
For her, being able to work as a full-time pharmacy tech at a CVS in Oakland is a dream come true.
"It would have been so incredible for me to know that I'm here where I am at now. I never imagined to be here to be honest," Ramirez Mendoza told CBS News Bay Area.
She was born in Guatemala and moved to Oakland when she was young.
"Came here at a very young age. Lived in Oakland with my relatives. Things didn't work out well and that's when I moved into foster," she said.
Ramirez Mendoza said she joined First Place for Youth, an Oakland-based foster care system, when she was 14-years-old.
She recently turned 25, and left foster care in May. Through the system, she was able to take part in a free five-week pharmacy tech pre-employment program for underserved youth.
"The purpose of the program is to bring this type of industry knowledge to transitional youth so it targets everything from general job readiness all the way to drop off or triage," said Marques Hancock, workforce initiative manager for CVS Health.
It's a collaboration between CVS Health and First Place for Youth to help foster children transition into adulthood.
"There's some social and economic barriers from transitional youth, let alone foster transitional youth. So bringing that resource and advocating for the stability is the key thing for this program," Hancock said.
They have graduated more than 20 students so far, with three cohorts completing the program. Hancock said they are working on gathering a fourth group of students for the program.
"I love helping people, seeing them smile, being able to contribute in their wellbeing every single day," Ramirez Mendoza said.
She's also in school, studying for her next certifications.
"I'm currently going to school for medical assistant. And also, I'm studying to become national certified, so next year I could be able to immunize at CVS," she added.
She wanted to share a message for those who are in foster care, planning their next steps.
"Never give up. It's tough, yes, there are going to be struggles and you're going to face a lot of barriers, but never give up," she said. "If you're in foster care like I was, just try to get in contact with your social worker or with the people that you work with. There are tons of opportunities that they do offer."