Latesha Jackson from Columbus, GA is a mother, student and Hiring Well Doing Good success story.
Key Points:
- A shift in mindset changed everything. Through the BETTER WORK program, Latesha Jackson embraced a growth mindset that helped her move from feeling stuck to continually pursuing new opportunities.
- Persistence led to major milestones. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 2024, built a stable career, and quickly received a promotion to her current role.
- Success now extends beyond her career. Latesha’s stability and healthy lifestyle have helped her become the role model she always wanted to be for her daughters and grandchildren.
Latesha Jackson, a Columbus native and mother of four, grew up in the Chattahoochee Valley and still lives in her hometown. Latesha was raised primarily by her mother in low-income neighborhoods throughout the city. Her mom was a housekeeper who worked in a hotel and later for a judge across the Chattahoochee River in Phenix City. Latesha spent each available weekend and break with her father in Phenix City. Her parents’ dedication to their work, she recalled, would inspire her to challenge herself.
“I was the only one of my siblings to graduate high school,”
Graduating from high school was a huge family milestone. “I was the only one of my siblings to graduate high school,” Latesha proudly mentioned. “I never wanted to disappoint my father, so I worked hard every day.” After high school, she went to work and used the income to help her mom pay the bills.
At 19, Latesha decided to start life on her own. A year and a half later, she gave birth to her oldest daughter. With three more children to follow, Latesha thought she’d put college in the rear-view mirror.
Changing Course Through BETTER WORK
For years, Latesha lived in what she describes as “survival mode.” As a single mother, life often involved working whatever job she could find while trying to keep her family afloat.
But today, Latesha describes her life very differently. “Today, I am at peace,” she said. “Five years ago, I was in chaos.”
Her journey toward that peace began when she participated in the Georgia Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) BETTER WORK program, which is designed to help people access job skills, local resources, and employers so they can pursue meaningful careers that sustain their families.
“I happened to walk into the local Habitat [for Humanity] office to pay my mortgage, and the woman there was handing out flyers for this program called BETTER WORK,” Latesha recalled. “She said ‘you might want to call these people to check it out.’” Latesha was frustrated with her current position and work environment—she wanted to find a job that felt satisfying, paid well, and offered good benefits. “I called … the Georgia Center for Opportunity immediately,” she remembered.
But after attending her first BETTER WORK class, Latesha’s life was suddenly disrupted when she was rear-ended by another vehicle on her way to work. Although she was still able to attend the BETTER WORK classes, life became a daily struggle between handling insurance claims and medical appointments.
2018 was a difficult year for Latesha. Due to injuries and time off of work, she had almost no income that year. Even after she was cleared to go back to work, she still had no vehicle, and reliable transportation to work was hard to come by. She had to look for a new job again, closer to home.
Through all the change and adversity, Latesha’s children were her constant inspiration. “With how I grew up, the things that I’ve lived through and witnessed … I don’t want my kids to go through that,” she said.
“If you are a single parent with small kids, you won’t be able to work” |
Developing a New Way of Thinking
When Latesha first connected with BETTER WORK, she was searching for better job opportunities. What she discovered was something deeper: mentorship, encouragement, and practical tools that helped her move forward.
She learned how to build relationships, navigate interviews, and connect with employers. But the most important lesson Latesha learned from Kristin Barker, GCO’s Vice President of Workforce Solutions, went beyond job skills.
“A lot of what Kristin taught me helped me along the way,” Latesha said, but “I learned about the growth mindset and started learning more about myself.”
Before embracing that mindset, Latesha was used to living day-to-day, focused on getting through each challenge as it came. BETTER WORK helped her begin to see that her situation wasn’t permanent and that she could grow, adapt, and make intentional choices to build a different future.
Inspired to pursue new opportunities, Latesha began working toward a goal she’d once set aside—earning a college degree. In the fall of 2024, she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in business management.
Kristin, who worked closely with Latesha throughout the class, says her perseverance stood out from the beginning. “Latesha has always had determination,” Kristin said. “Seeing her graduate with her degree and build stability for her family has been incredible.”
Choosing Health and Stability
Latesha also made a commitment to change her lifestyle—a decision shaped by what she learned from BETTER WORK about confronting the physical and emotional barriers that can keep you from moving forward.
She began walking two to three miles each day and focused on improving her nutrition. The results were dramatic: she lost more than 70 pounds and brought both her cholesterol and blood pressure into healthy ranges.
Her motivation was simple.
“I want to be here for my children and my grandchildren.”
Becoming the Example
Today, Latesha is proud of the life she’s built. Her daughters are flourishing in their own careers and educational paths, and she now has four grandchildren. Watching her family succeed reminds her how far she’s come. The biggest change in her life is perspective—which she learned about in the BETTER WORK class.
“I used to feel stuck,” she said. “Now I want to stay unstuck. I always want to keep growing.”
And the advice that carried her through some of the hardest seasons of her life still guides her today:
