Two Everyday Heroes, One Shared Lesson
By Marcus Zwaine
Sometimes heroes don’t wear uniforms or stand on stages, they stand at deli counters and childcare classrooms, or behind the scenes at a football stadium. This week, I met two such heroes: Nika and Jeremiah. Their stories remind us that resilience and opportunity, paired with a little family and community support, can change everything.
Nika’s Superpower: Holding It All Together
Nika is a young mother of three, her children are 18 months, 4, and 8. She’s the sole provider, clocking 35 to 40 hours a week at the Walmart deli on Bullard Avenue. On top of that, she’s in school at Nunez College, training to be a registered childcare provider.
Her support system is small but mighty. Her mama watches the babies when she’s working or in class. Her 19 year old sister, also enrolled in the childcare development program at Nunez, shares in the caregiving. Together, they form a household that depends on one another to get through the long days and longer nights.
What impressed me most wasn’t just Nika’s schedule, it was her spirit. She’s joyful, grounded, and wise beyond her years. I overheard her counseling her younger sister: “Get on a career path early, even if it isn’t perfect. That way, you start earning better wages sooner, and it gives you a platform to switch gears later if you want.” That’s real life wisdom practical, hopeful, and generous.
Nika may well receive some government assistance, but nothing keeps her from working hard and moving forward. To me, she is nothing short of a superhero.
Jeremiah’s Leap Forward: From Job Corps to Teamsters
Then there’s Jeremiah, whose story shows what happens when opportunity meets preparation. He works full-time at the Superdome, a job he landed through Job Corps. Without that program, he says, he wouldn’t have even known the door existed, much less walked through it.
That job has already opened a bigger one: through his work at the Dome, he met members of the Teamsters union. Soon, he’ll begin their apprenticeship program, where his hourly wage will rise from $18 to $32. Add in medical benefits and a pension, and you have a life-changing pathway.
But Jeremiah’s story carries another dimension of responsibility. His mother, now in her 60s, has recently returned home after spending 20 years in prison. He has stepped up to care for her, just as he’s building his own future. It’s a heavy burden for a young man, but one he carries with quiet determination.
Jeremiah deserves full credit for showing up, doing the work, and seizing the opportunity. But he’s quick to point out that Job Corps was the springboard, the program that got him ready for the interview where he was hired on the spot.
The Takeaway
Both Nika and Jeremiah remind us that resilience and opportunity can create extraordinary stories out of ordinary lives. Nika juggles children, school, and work with grace and joy. Jeremiah used Job Corps as a launch pad toward a secure, union backed future, all while stepping into the role of caretaker for his mother after two decades apart.
Their paths show us the power of support systems, whether it’s a grandmother watching the kids, a sister lending a hand, or a workforce program opening a door. Programs like Nunez’s childcare training and Job Corps don’t just create workers; they create stability, dignity, and hope.
If we want more stories like Nika’s and Jeremiah’s, we ought to strengthen and expand these programs, so that more families can stand on solid ground and more young people can find the doorway to opportunity. That means accountable auditable public investment, not just in Job Corps and childcare education, but in affordable housing, access to health care, and reliable public transportation, the pillars that allow people to build lives with real stability.
We can either treat people like Nika and Jeremiah as exceptions, or we can choose to make their successes the rule. That choice is in the hands of policymakers, and it’s a choice worth making.
And that’s the kind of story worth telling.
