ISIS HARRIS
Electrical Apprentice
For the people who follow its path, the trade industry offers many rewards. Among them are a living wage, an honest day’s work and an opportunity to use your hands and mind to create something great. When Isis Harris entered a pre-apprenticeship program to become an electrician, she was looking for something big—a second chance in life.
Isis had recently served 5 years at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. Excited to reunite with her kids, she came home to an empty house. Both her sons were in prison too—one having been incarcerated just two days prior to Isis’s release date. Things grew darker when her older son got out of prison only to suffer a gunshot wound to the face. “It was a real eye opener for me because it brought to light the condition that not only my life was in but also my children’s lives,” says Isis. “I wanted to break free of that. I didn’t want to continue having dark days and sleepless nights.”
Craving a drastic change in her life, Isis enrolled in Constructing Hope, a pre-apprenticeship program that works with people who are marginalized or having trouble getting into the job force. “That was the turning point in my life, not only for working toward a career but also starting to believe in myself again.”
Isis finished her pre-apprenticeship with 5 certifications and a solid portfolio. She had also found her calling, gained confidence and earned a second lease on life. “Electrical work takes a little more attention to detail. It’s more involved than building a staircase or mucking cement. When I wired up my first light and it turned on, it was like a light came on in my life as well.”
An unshakeable core of determination has powered Isis through many phases, and it keeps her charging forward. Starting out in the construction industry can be intimidating, especially for women, but she takes every day in stride with a built-in resilience that makes her a force—both on the job and in life. “I’ve been through a lot in my life. When things get hard, I know that they’re not permanent. I know that I can continue to work through it and that it’ll get better, and that if I just keep working hard at something, I’ll come up with solutions.”
Learn more about Constructing Hope