Helping Others Heal: How One Woman’s Struggles Became Her Strength

When America Arevalo fills out a form, she writes “job coach” in the section labeled “Occupation.” Not so long ago, she was writing “unemployed.”

Before she started with AARP Foundation’s BACK TO WORK 50+ program at Youth Co-Op Inc. in Miami, she was a client like the ones she supports now: over 50, barely making ends meet, and struggling to find a job.

She arrived in Orlando, Florida, from Venezuela in 1998, with her now ex-husband and her young daughters in tow. “At first it was very hard, since I hadn’t completed any education past high school in Venezuela,” she says.

After divorcing in 2004, America did the best she could as a single mother. She spent more than a decade as a social worker, supporting children with developmental delays. Eventually, the work wore her down. “I dealt with a lot of kids with serious challenges. It took a toll on me,” she says. 

When an opportunity arose to apply for a position as a flight attendant, she went for it, but the training proved to be too much for her, both physically and mentally. She made the difficult decision to quit.

America had left her social work job to begin the flight attendant training, and now she had no source of income. Her savings ran out after a few months, including her 401(k). She was forced to short-sell her house and live out of a friend’s trailer — and, eventually, her car.  

On top of all that, her health started to fail. Her eldest daughter finally convinced her to move to Miami with her so she could recover and look for a job.  

America took advantage of CareerSource Florida, a statewide workforce development system designed to help jobseekers find employment. She submitted her résumé to the organization’s résumé pool and hoped for the best.

She was contacted right away by Marianne Lobo, the longtime program manager for AARP Foundation’s BACK TO WORK 50+ through partner Youth Co-Op Inc. in Miami. The program connects older jobseekers with the information, training, support and employer access they need to get back into the workforce.  

Marianne thought America would make an excellent BACK TO WORK 50+ job coach, but she wanted her to experience the program as a participant first. So America attended the workshops and coaching sessions, where she learned the ins and outs of finding a job as an older worker.

“I made so many mistakes,” she says. “I had an outdated email address. My résumé was too long, and I never researched the companies I was applying to.” 

After completing the program, America interviewed for the job coach role again and got it. “Marianne said, ‘Let me teach you,’ so I grabbed all the knowledge I could from her. And that's how I started.” 

America believes her struggles are part of what makes her so good at her job. “I tell clients my personal story so they understand that I’ve been where they are. I was over 50, I was alone. I slept in a car. I tell them, ‘Please don't get to that point. There’s help available. Let me help.’”

It’s been a long road, but America knows she’s where she should be.

“It was a process I had to go through, but I learned so much I can share now,” she says. “Someone took me by the hand and helped me. I think it's part of my healing, to be able to help others.”

Learn more about BACK TO WORK 50+ and register for a workshop. 

Read more stories about how our programs have helped people find hope, and about the volunteers who give so much of themselves to help others.

This success story was developed with support from UnitedHealthcare.