Dominique Slaughter, age 30, Energy Pre-Apprentice & BeLit Advocate
A single mom with a big smile, Dominique exudes calm confidence. She believes in the power of getting outside her comfort zone, trying new things, and networking with everyone she meets. Her 10-year-old daughter is her motivation to succeed and why she strives to be a strong, independent role model.
A longtime West Philly resident, Dominique has a knack for successfully teaching herself home repair techniques using YouTube. At a young age, she earned a reputation among her friends and family as a fix-it expert. So it’s no surprise that in the fall of 2022, an Instagram post about BeLit’s home weatherization pre-apprenticeship program caught her attention as an interesting learning opportunity. She applied and started her training journey this past January. While the program is challenging, Dominique has already earned five industry credentials and looks forward to classes each day with her fellow students and Beyond Literacy teachers.
To talk with Dominique is to feel empowered to set and achieve new goals. When asked what advice she has for other adults considering going back to school, she says, “Make sure you are dedicated. Make sure you got the time and the patience. When it gets hard, keep pushing. It will pay off in the long run.”
Often serving as a mentor to her classmates, Dominique encourages them to complete their certifications and to keep showing up for class. It’s no wonder that Dominique was awarded star student in her cohort and selected to share her adult learning story at the state capitol in Harrisburg where she met with her own West Philly legislators about the success she’s experiencing as a pre-apprentice at BeLit.
On track to graduate later this month, Dominique has already received several highly competitive energy industry job offers including with the pre-apprenticeship program’s training partner Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA). Her ECA trainers praise her work ethic, her can-do personality, and her supportive encouragement of her classmates. While she takes time to decide which opportunity will be the best first step in her new energy career, Dominique hopes to one day be able to give back to others. Inspired by her positive experience at BeLit, Dominique’s dream is to one day build a nonprofit for single parents where they learn valuable hands-on skills alongside their children. On behalf of all of us at BeLit, we believe in you, Dominique!
Know someone who would benefit from BeLit’s free pre-apprenticeship program? Contact us at [email protected] for more information.
Read the full May newsletter, The BeLit Bulletin here: https://conta.cc/3M6iTQg