Since September 2024, KRA has proudly delivered WIOA-funded Career, Business, and One-Stop Operator Services through the OhioMeansJobs (OMJ) Career Center Network operating in Medina County (Medina) and Summit County (Akron).
An incredible success story comes from Akron-based Career Coach, Sha’Von Umbles, reporting, “ LaTanya Tyes came to OMJ on August 13, 2025 during an extremely difficult period in her life.” In her own words, “I had a bad heart when I enrolled in the program and had been unemployed due to illness. However, to provide a better life for my kids and myself, I was determined to go to school with my mind set on medical-assistant training. I ended up having surgery 2 weeks after acceptance by Larock Healthcare Academy but managed to meet my program-start date 4 weeks after recovery.”
LaTanya’s dedication and hard work paid off; she doubled her course load and completed the program in just 5 months, earning multiple industry-recognized credentials, including CMA (Certified Medical Assistant), passing the national-credentialing exam with a 93%; EKG (Electrocardiogram; PCT (Patient Care Technician); and Phlebotomy certifications.
Following graduation, she received multiple job offers and ultimately accepted a Medical Assistant position with Akron Children’s Hospital, an acute-care facility for infants, children, adolescents, young adults, aged 0–21.
“I had the most amazing Career Coach who truly believed in me and the vision I had for my life. Ms. Umbles helped me to grow in so many inspiring ways, the first of which was realizing I could do anything I put my mind to. I am now in the process of pursuing a career in Nursing, a goal with which Ms. Umbles and OMJ will be assisting me..”
All of KRA congratulates LaTanya on her remarkable accomplishments and looks forward to supporting her medical-career goals as she embarks upon the next leg of her journey. Her story is a powerful reminder that when determination is met with the right support, barriers can become stepping stones to lasting career success.