"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” – Maya Angelou
Trailblazers Lily Nguyen and Kiara Alexis are breaking through economic and social barriers. At Civicorps, Kiara and Lily were determined that nothing could limit their potential. Today, they exemplify the career opportunities available to our Corpsmembers. What’s more, Lily and Kiara are trailblazing a path for women in the highly competitive, male-dominated recycling field.
“Civicorps was life-changing” – Lily Nguyen
Lily Nguyen knew something had to change after dropping out of school and drifting from place to place. Through word of mouth, she found out about the Academy and Job Training Center at Civicorps and enrolled in 2015. Shortly after, she learned she was pregnant. That didn’t stop this West Oakland native from becoming the first child in her family to earn a high school diploma. The road ahead wasn’t easy, but support from Civicorps staff and Corpsmembers motivated Lily to finish school and learn a trade simultaneously.
Through hard work and a resolute attitude, Lily acquired land management skills and a promotion to Crew Leader at Civicorps’ Environmental Management, working with employer partners including East Bay Regional Park District, Alameda County Flood Control, and East Bay Municipality District. Civicorps’ conservation projects focus on reducing fire hazards on public land, maintaining trails and waterways, and removal of non-native species for habitat restoration. At the time, Lily was the only female crew leader, an experience that made her start to think differently about limitations. She focused her final school project on gender equality.
Lily worked up to the week before her baby was born. After graduating from Civicorps Academy, she progressed from Conservation Intern to Recycling Intern, earning her Class B license and a promotion to Recycling Driver. Lily began steering a 26,000 ton rear loader through East Bay neighborhoods. When Lily’s peer Kiara left Civicorps to apprentice at Waste Management, for some time, Lily found herself to be the only female driver. Once more, the wheels started spinning.
“I was thinking, I am a female and maybe I can make it in a male-dominated industry. I had the motivation. I thought, I can do this.”
Civicorps has a unique partnership with Waste Management of Alameda County to develop a pipeline for youth to embark on careers within their Teamster and Mechanics unions. Upon completion of a Recycling Internship, Corpsmembers become eligible for one of the prestigious apprenticeships at Waste Management.
The path that Kiara took allowed her to realize dreams of independence and prosperity. Told by a teacher she would never break free of generational poverty, Kiara chose to listen to her own voice telling her that anything was possible. At Civicorps Recycling, she excelled. She has since completed her apprenticeship with Waste Management and is now a permanent Teamster.
“When I was an Intern at Civicorps,” Kiara recalled, “I had no idea what was in the future for me. I knew that obtaining my license would land me a better job to take care of my family, but I didn’t know it would come in such a package. All I hoped for was my hard work paying off someday. Now I look back and I am so glad I stuck with it. My hard work paid off!”
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Lily’s hard work has paid off too.
In July, amid a pandemic that has disproportionately impacted women of color, Lily followed in the footsteps of Kiara, becoming one of only seven women accepted into Waste Management’s two-year union apprenticeship in Alameda County. If successful, as a permanent employee she will earn a starting wage of $75,000 a year plus pension. To date, Civicorps has sent 12 Corpsmembers to apprentice at Waste Management. Lily is the second woman from Civicorps to follow this career pathway.
When asked how she felt about her apprenticeship, Lily said, “The opportunity came—they needed somebody—and I was ready.”
Some things at Waste Management were familiar. “My first day was nerve-racking. In the morning as I was filling out my paperwork and sitting in the office waiting for them to show me where I was supposed to be doing my training, I noticed there was a whole bunch of guys. I’m new. I’m going in there with green colored hair, so I’m standing out even more, and I’m so short and tiny. I am standing out like a sore thumb!” Later that day Lily was relieved to see Kiara and the excitement to be joining her ranks outmatched her nerves.
Kiara related, “It’s a challenge being a woman at Waste Management because this line of work wasn’t initially meant for me, but it isn’t impossible. It’s not something that a woman would normally wake up and say, ‘I want to be a garbage woman!’ It’s very physically demanding and pushes you to be your best self and I love it!”
Today, Lily looks forward to buying a house. She is motivated by a desire to make a better life for her and her son. “I’ve always dreamed of a nice little house with a big back yard.” Her new position makes these dreams possible. Not only that, but she’s getting to fulfill a childhood dream. “When I was growing up, I liked seeing trucks. I loved them!”
Meeting the moment is about understanding that what we do today impacts who we are tomorrow. Lily and Kiara’s decision to enroll at Civicorps was pivotal to their success.
Looking back, Kiara said, “The advice I have for both young women and men is to first take a chance before throwing in the towel. You will never reach any goal if you never try. If I can do it, so can you! I think the hardest part is actually taking the first step. Then once you’ve taken that step, give it your all!! Hard work really does pay off!”
Lily adds, “Don’t give up, no matter what life throws at you. There are tremendous people at Civicorps who can support you. They could have given up on me, but they didn’t.”
Civicorps celebrates Lily and Kiara, the next generation of environmental stewards. We honor their journey and rejoice in their success.
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