Fort Campbell, Ky (September 29, 2020) – Our Fort Campbell facility is still running smoothly in the virtual world, and we are happy to be filling classes faster than ever!
Class No. 8 is wrapping up their training and applying for jobs this week. For our monthly spotlight, it was an easy choice to highlight current training student Haruko Brown. Haruko was referred to us by another graduate, Alanna Hall, and after months of hearing about it, finally registered and started the process to join a class.
“I heard about the program from a spouse in my boxing class, Alanna Hall, who was going through the program. I had been slowly reassessing what was important in my life and how I could enrich it. Then there was COVID and, well, if that doesn’t put life and your priorities in perspective. I have spent the last decade working as a corporate store manager with a nice salary, benefits, and a 50-plus hour work week. I decided that a rich life, in my definition, would be to focus on me and my family’s health and wellness. Money is great, and I loved my company, but at the end of the day, your family is what you have.”
Haruko Brown and her puppies
One of my favorite things about Haruko is her “family”! She is a military spouse who has been around for the long haul and now prefers to stay home with the cutest bundle of “babies” you’ll meet. Meet her “pack,” as she calls them:
“I have three pugs: Nicco, Shank, and Bumble, and two Frenchies: Josie and Lemmy. With my son grown and out of the house and my husband on his ninth deployment, I want to make sure I am present for my pack’s wellbeing. I am Mom to five dogs with different needs, personalities, and I am only one human to meet all those needs. Working remotely from home gives me time to give them all the attention they need and allows me to interact with them. Plus, the occasional doggy cuddle during breaks keeps me calm and is definitely a boost for morale!”
With such a successful background already on her résumé, the outsider would naturally wonder why she would choose to go through a customer service training course for entry-level jobs. Haruko says her focus has been on herself lately, both mentally and physically, and a reboot just seemed like the best move. She has been making her way through the class with her cohort and learning more than she thought she would, considering her years in customer service.
“I appreciate the structure of the class. The modules for customer service are very thorough and are a great refresher, even if you have experience in customer service. Having done training in a corporate setting for my other job, I can appreciate that these modules give you relatable situational tools that have been lacking in other customer service training I have gotten. I also like that this class has an equal balance of personal interaction. Digital Works and (Digital Works Facilitator) Jess are invested in our development and approach it at a personal level with everyone in this class. She instills the confidence in you to feel prepared for job interviews, with questioning techniques and help with job résumé and cover letters.”
Whenever Haruko isn’t in class or taking her pups for a walk, she loves to sit and read from a variety of genres, from true crime to historical novels. Her downtime is often spent at the gym, which truly turned out to be a great place to not only improve her physical health, but to network and find a new path to forge on this journey of self-focus and peace.