Do not let your current situation determine your final destination.
These are the words of 21-year-old Jodene Skippers, who grew up and lives in Scottsdene, a community plagued by poverty and gang violence.
But Jodene had a dream, and refused to let the struggle to find work after matric, she knows what it is like to study or studying to the sound of gunshots and fighting off muggers but this did not stop her from pursuing her dream.
Her persistence paid off and in the coming month, she will be graduating from Damelin College with a Cabin Crew Certificate, enabling her to fulfill her dream of working as a flight attendant.
After Jodene matriculated from Bernadino Heights High School in 2015, she asked her parents if they could set aside money for tertiary studies and with many sacrifices they were able to send her to Damelin College in Mowbray in 2018.
Jodene’s mom has been a stay-at-home mom for the past four years, and her dad, who builds cupboards, is the sole breadwinner.
Jodene, the first of her five siblings to have studied beyond matric, told Northern News she struggled to find work after she matriculated.
And, she said, her She explained that while her year at college, had not been smooth sailing. has seen some troubling times but she braced herself and worked harder towards her goals.
“It was a difficult year for me as crime and gang violence affected my community.
“While walking out by my front door, to walk to the station, I would first have to look where the shootings are happening and then I would walk out my door.