Beating the Fear of Failure

Karl Coleman was released from prison on January 6, 2007, with 10 years of incarceration behind him and a motivation to finally make the most of his life.

Karl first sought help from services provided by Montgomery County, seeking to enter a trade school for masonry or ironworking. Without a high school diploma or GED, there was nothing that they could do for him. They offered to enroll him into the GED classes but Karl found them very rigid and formal and he was afraid of beginning for fear of not being able to keep up and ultimately failing – a theme that runs throughout Karl’s 43 years of life and was threatening to overtake his chances of success once again.

A friend mentioned the Volunteers of America Education and Employment Center in Dayton. Karl enrolled and immediately made a connection with the instructors and the warm and accepting atmosphere. He appreciated the flexibility of the programming, which allowed him to work at his own pace without the fear that, should something come up in life, he would be kicked out of the program. The instructors never asked him why he was incarcerated and focused entirely on his future – not his past. The positive environment was the key to dispelling Karl’s fears of failure.

“In any other GED program, I would have quit and walked away.”

Karl came every day for two months and then found a job working for a telemarketing firm. Still dedicated to completing the program, he changed his schedule so that he could come Monday and Wednesday evenings to school while continuing to work.

Karl took and passed the official GED test on September 4, 2007. Armed with his GED, Karl is now pursuing a trade school training and apprenticeship program.

“Volunteers of America and the Education and Employment Center is a blessing. I am an enthusiastic recruiter for the EEC!"