Nurse of the Week: From Homeless, Single Mother to Registered Nurse: Goodwill Recognizes Tiarra Barrera-Hammond as Graduate of the Year

In her early 20s, Tiarra Barrera-Hammond started over in California but her challenges didn’t end there. As a single mother with two young children who suddenly found herself homeless, she was forced to find a way to support herself and her family. When Tiarra heard about a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) training program run by Goodwill she enrolled in the program and took her first steps toward becoming a registered nurse (RN).

Like so many before her, Tiarra used Goodwill as a first step in forging a successful career for herself. Impressed by her determination and the hard work she put in to progress from a CNA to RN, Goodwill Industries International named Tiarra their 2016 Kenneth Shaw Graduate of the Year.

After enrolling in the CNA program, Goodwill provided Tiarra with a scholarship, tutoring, and support services. It was the inspiration she needed to devote herself to the program and start her RN prerequisite courses at Long Beach City College. After she graduated from the Goodwill CNA program, Tiarra remained in school full-time working on her RN prerequisites, and was eventually accepted in an Associate Nursing Degree program at the college where she received her degree two years later. Then she took the final step, passing the national RN licensing exam and signing a two-year contract as a registered nurse at Dignity Health – St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, CA.

Goodwill’s Kenneth Shaw Graduate of the Year Award honors an outstanding person for completing a Goodwill career program and becoming competitively employed by a non-Goodwill establishment in the community. Tiarra was a perfect fit for the award after overcoming many unexpected and difficult challenges to work in a rigorous and compassionate profession. Tiarra now serves as a role model to Goodwill CNA students and is married with three children.