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'They’re giving people a chance.' She couldn't get work because of her past, until now.

The chance to get into a program – like the Westside Works' Construction Ready one – that could lead to employment was a big step.

For Adrienne Howard, the opportunity to get her life back on track comes down to successfully completing the Construction Ready program.

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-native was raised in Atlanta and attended the English Avenue Elementary School, right in the Bluff.

For the most part, Howard said she wasn’t the troublemaker growing up.

“I’ve always been pretty smart and pretty quiet and to myself,” she described. “They issued me a proclamation: ‘Adrienne Howard, Georgia Teen of Excellence day… I’ve got quite a few accomplishments.”

She went on to work at Atlanta’s hometown airlines.

“I had a pretty decent job working for Delta Airlines, flying for free anywhere I wanted. I had it made for myself,” she said.

IN CONSTRUCTION | Watch the full documentary now

But in her mid-20s, Howard said she started to slip into a life of partying, and a certain type of lifestyle – hustling for the clothes, the shoes.

“I’m trying to figure out how they’re so well-dressed and throwing all this money around. I’m like, ‘What are y’all doing? I’ve been working since I was 10 years old. I ain’t never had money like that’,” she continued. “And they gave me the crash course.”

It led to her first taste of crime – fraud and identity theft.

“Here I am, 29 years old, never really been in jail, and BAM, I get arrested, I sit in jail for a week, and now I’m a felon,” she explained. “I made a poor decision. I made a very poor choice, and I paid for that. I can definitely say I paid for that.”

Howard said while she spent time in jail, all she could think about was what her mom would say.

“Once I went to jail, and I had to call my mom and tell her I was in jail, it was like, ‘Damn.’ And when I got out, she wasn’t as mad as I thought, but I just kind of felt like, ‘This is not supposed to be me’,” Howard said, tearing up.

But, as she tried to get her life back on track, with her wife’s support, she hit some roadblocks because of her past.

“I’ve gotten a lot of no’s. I’ve had a few doors slammed in my face,” she explained. “She’s been there when I’ve been so excited and thinking ‘Hey I’ve got this,’ and then they say, ‘Hey, your background, we can’t hire you.’ She’s been there. I’ve cried. She’s wiped my tears. She’s been like, ‘Don’t worry about it. You’re gonna get through this.’”

For Howard, the chance to get into a program – like the Westside Works’ Construction Ready one – that could lead to employment was a big step.

“There’s nothing in place to help you. There’s nothing in place to help you stop being an armed robber or being a drug addict. There’s nothing out there,” Howard said. “They’re (Westside Works) giving people a chance, where a lot of times people aren’t giving themselves a chance.”

Now, that Howard is poised to begin training at the Construction Ready program, she said she is determined to not let anything – especially her background – stand in her way.

“I’ve sat down and talked to my family and let them know that this is a great opportunity and it may not come again, so I’d like to seize the opportunity.”

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Howard says learning moves fast the first week of class.

“I didn’t expect it to be so strict and have so many expectations for the program,” she said. “But I know for a fact that there’s always room for improvement.”

While the subject matter may have been relatively simple to master, Howard said it was something more internal she had to work on.

“I can honestly say my attitude wasn’t always the best,” she admitted. “What I’ve been working on is having enough restraint to not say anything… If I have passion for it, I will definitely argue with you.”

But at the end of the day, Howard said all that she learns is to try and better herself, with the ultimate goal of being employed.

“I’m trying to stand out. When they come to try and hire us and do that hiring fair, I want to be that person like, ‘Ooh. I want her’,” she said. “Honestly I think I’m gonna become a great fit for someone.”

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IN CONSTRUCTION | Inside the program that's giving people on Atlanta's Westside a chance to rise up

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