Mohammad Jammeh 

Unit Secretary/CNA – Gero Psychiatric Unit & LTCC (Long Term Civil Commitment) | UW Medicine

As a Certified Nursing Assistant, I work closely with patients to provide hands-on care and support with their daily living activities. I primarily work in a long-term care unit and geropsychiatric unit, so most of the individuals I care for are either elderly or young adults. Many of our patients live with chronic conditions like dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and other neurocognitive disorders. I’ve always been someone who wants to help people, especially those who are vulnerable or struggling. I saw firsthand how much of a difference the nurses and CNAs made—not just physically, but emotionally. They were kind, patient, and made a scary situation feel manageable.

I often felt like I wanted to do more than just provide physical support; I wanted to understand what they were going through mentally and emotionally too. That’s what led me to the Behavioral Health Tech apprenticeship. I saw it as a way to build on my CNA skills and expand into a field where I could support the whole person, not just the body, but the mind as well.

The Behavioral Health Tech (BHT) Apprenticeship matched my learning style by combining hands-on learning with real-world experience. Since I am a CNA, I have patient care experience, but I wanted to learn in a disciplined and supportive method. It aligned perfectly with my career goals and values.

To me, this opportunity meant a chance to grow, learn, and move forward, both personally and professionally. It meant stepping into roles that challenged me, building meaningful connections, and gaining experiences that shaped the kind of nurse I wanted to become.

Behavioral health’s emotional needs were one of my biggest concerns. Supporting people through tough and even horrific situations is hard, especially when you’re learning. The program supported me on this journey with mentorship, supervision, and open communication. The instructor provided a safe space for me to communicate, process, and gain confidence.

My goal is to continue to grow within the health field and eventually become an RN/BSN. I’m passionate about supporting individuals through recovery and mental health challenges, and I want to continue to deepen my knowledge through continued education and experience.

Daniel Tadesse is passionate about making an impact in healthcare and using his voice to uplift others. He graduated from a pilot Introduction to Healthcare Employment and Apprenticeship Programs (IHAP) course. This training inspired him to share his own journey “Cooking Up Resilience.”

Cooking Up Resilience

By Daniel Tadesse

He was an orphaned immigrant child, conditioned to build his survival around others. First, he learned to navigate the streets, then how to construct a path toward stability — education, career, home. His hands became familiar with the work of creation. Brick by brick, he shaped a future to feel secure. Yet, the structure he built was never truly his — it was designed to serve expectations. Stability alone wasn’t enough. The real test wouldn’t be in constructing success, but in learning to rebuild himself.

Since the age of 18, he built his life in the construction industry, securing a job with the city. But this security slipped away. His employer parted ways with him, jeopardizing not just his career but his entire foundation. His source of income — the very thing keeping his home intact —hangs in the balance. His car is impounded and he feels his foundation breaking.

He faces his deepest fear — losing everything, being an orphan forced back into uncertainty. Survival demands a decision: blame society or start over. Blame is easy. He could let resentment consume him — believing that the system failed him, the world is unfair, and stability was never truly his. He does not want pride to keep him from rebuilding. But starting over? That requires letting go of bitterness, facing himself, and choosing to build again.

His most trusted companion, his dog Abby, teaches him the true meaning of unconditional love, and helps him start to rebuild. Through her, he discovers a word that would change everything: “No.” As he exercises this newfound boundary, the people around him reveal their true selves. It is liberating, but comes at the painful cost of losing those he had kept close. The pain of betrayal gnaws at his heart, but he creates distance to move forward.

He chooses something greater. Not for others or to meet expectations, but rather… love. He walks into a welfare office — a place he never thought he’d be. He applies for food benefits and unemployment, a humbling act that forces him to confront reality. As a child, he survived this way. As a middle-aged man, it carries a different weight. Ego took out his friends. Ego almost takes him out, too.

Searching for direction he steps into the public library. Between the shelves, his eyes land on a flyer pinned to the community board: Healthcare Apprenticeship Program. He almost walks past it. Healthcare? A world so different from construction. But something lingers. It’s not just about finding another job. It’s about finding purpose beyond the structures he built. His hands still know how to create — only now, it won’t be walls and roads. It will be care, healing, and hope.

The choice is clear — fall apart, or rise with intention. Life doesn’t wait. He learns to forgive himself for surviving the only way he knew — by pleasing others. Saying “no” becomes his shield, and setting boundaries, his armor.  He finds an outlet for grief — poetry, a way to release the weight of loss.

Stability requires building a foundation no one can take from him. It starts with small routines. He makes his bed, keeps his space clean, and practices self-care. He realizes faith is tested most when everything feels broken. Loving God or others is easy when life is comfortable. True trust is built in uncertainty. Grace, somehow, keeps his mind intact, giving him the will to keep moving forward.

Rebuilding comes with losses, but his perspective shifts.

          Surrendering the car? Public transportation will carry him forward.

          Food insecurity? He learns to navigate resources like food stamps.

          Losing a career? That doesn’t mean losing the ability to work.

The fight to rebuild is just beginning, but his foundation is made stronger by his core values — faith, will, and the duty to serve. Choosing healthcare feels like the right fit for this new life.

His maintains his routine and plans ahead to remind himself that control begins with how he cares for himself. He guards his peace, mindful of who he allows into his life.  God’s plan is greater than his. Grace carries him through every storm and he lets go of what he cannot control.

He enrolls in a Certified Nursing Assistant program and continues to remind himself:

Growth isn’t a destination; it’s a continuous effort. Some days I stumble, but I keep refining, learning, and pushing forward. Now, I step into the next chapter — not in construction, but in care.  This isn’t just a career shift—it’s a transformation built on choice. The structures that I built before served others.  The foundation I build now allows me to love myself — fully, without apology.

This recipe works for me as I rebuild. For those searching — take what helps, leave what doesn’t, and keep cooking up your own resilience.