4 days ago
Latest cohort graduates from ‘Getting Ahead' program in Johnstown
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — Almost four months after meeting the newest cohort of the 'Getting Ahead' program, they're now graduates.
The program is facilitated by Bridges Cooperative Ministry, a ministry group of Franklin Street Church in downtown Johnstown.
'What we're seeing is within one year after graduating that over half of our graduates will actually see increases in their income. They'll see increases in their assets, decreases in their liabilities, their debts. And so, we're super excited for what the future holds for our grads,' Bridges Cooperative Ministry Executive Director, Sonya Dunlap-Horner, said.
Since the program began in 2015, 164 people have completed the program, including this year's graduates.
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Dunlap-Horner said the entire team is proud of the graduates, especially after witnessing the challenges they've faced and dealing with change. They've all become a family over the four months, leaning on each other for support.
'It was not easy. It was hard. But trust me, once you decide to dedicate yourself to what you're doing, put in the hard work, you're going to make it,' Cyndi Jean Pierre, a 2025 graduate, said.
Now that she's graduated from the program, Cyndi said she's ready for the next step.
'I am very happy that I finally accomplished my goal with 'Getting Ahead.' And, I am just so ready for the next step in my life, which, first on my list, would be definitely going back to college, because I'm definitely trying to make a better experience and better living for me and my daughter,' Jean Pierre said.
The Getting Ahead program is partnering with local banks to teach their students financial management. They will start a financial literacy program in the fall with Ameriserv Bank.
Once they complete the full ten weeks, they will receive a $150 savings account that will be opened in their name.
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