I am Women’s Bean Project: Jazzmine

My name is Jazzmine and I grew up in Denver in a loving family, however, drug dealing was a normal day to day existence. I dropped out of high school at 16 and began working two jobs, with one of them offering me management training so I decided to quit the other job. During this time, I started dealing drugs because it was easy money and it was what my other family members did. At the time, it seemed like a glamourous life style and because I was very young, it was that more intriguing to me. Until the day I was arrested and sentenced to 3 years at Denver Women’s Correctional Facility with a drug felony.

I was very ashamed and wanted to change my life and had little to no job history and a felony. Shortly before I was released, Women’s Bean Project made a presentation at the correctional facility and when I was released to the halfway house, some of the women told me Women’s Bean Project was a great place to work and to turn your life around. So, I went and filled out an application and the rest is history.

Since my employment at Women’s Bean Project, I learned to understand why I was angry and how to cope with it and realized that I am accountable for all my decisions and that my past is my past. The Bean Project taught me how to work in a production environment handling food products, quality control measures, and how important attention to detail is. In addition, I gained so many other skills which has allowed me to be more valuable in the workplace. No I know that I’m worthy of my new life and I’m confident to go and get it. My goal is to have full-time employment and stability in my life.

During my job search phase of the program, I had the opportunity to interview with CoorsTek in Golden and eventually was hired! Because I had my GED prior to graduating Women’s Bean Project, I started in a higher paying position with full health and dental benefits.

I am motivated and ambitious with the skills I learned at Women’s Bean Project to have a better life.