Raising teenagers can be stressful and hard. Shanna started Climb’s Commercial Driving (CDL) training when her daughter, Morgan, was a senior in high school. Her older son had already graduated, and she wanted both her young-adult children to find fulfillment and success after leaving home.

Before Climb, Shanna struggled for years with anxiety that kept her from maintaining stable employment while raising a family on her own.

Climb’s mental health provider helped Shanna experiment with new ways to overcome this barrier. “It sounds crazy,” Shanna says, “but we figured out that if I put a little bit of dirt in my pocket to touch when I froze up taking tests or practicing for job interviews, it would settle my nerves.”

“All I want is for my mom to be happy. Seeing what she’s done for herself shows me that when life knocks you down, you get up and keep going.”

– Morgan

Morgan says she noticed changes in her mom right away when she started Climb. “I could tell it made her more positive. She just started beaming. Climb gave her hope. You could tell that she felt happier and more supported.”

After Climb, Shanna decided to pursue a career with the City of Rock Springs, where she now works for the Housing Authority and has benefits like health insurance, paid sick leave, and a retirement plan for the first time in her life.

“She loves her job,” says Morgan. “I’ve worried about my mom a lot, and it’s good to see her on her feet.”

Likewise, Shanna is very proud of Morgan, who is now 19 and happily living on her own and working toward becoming an Ultrasound Technician through Laramie County Community College’s sonography program. Morgan’s brother is also thriving in a career in the oil and gas industry.

“All I want is for my mom to be happy,” Morgan says. “She didn’t always have a job growing up, or feel very hopeful about her life. Seeing what she’s done for herself shows me that when life knocks you down, you get up and keep going. She won’t let anything knock her down now.”