Jeanette & Deon McAdams, Enduring Essential Employees

Deon McAdams and Jeanette Scott were students in the TCU/IAM Advanced Training Program at the Hubert H. Humphrey Job Corps Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2010.  Jeanette was a direct referral from St. Paul and Deon, a transfer from Kittrell Job Corps Center in North Carolina, where he completed the facilities maintenance trade.

Both had come without any real idea of what career path they wanted to pursue, but they knew they wanted to make the most of the opportunities TCU had to offer.  Jeanette had tried college, but it wasn’t a fit for her.  Now she had student loan debt and only minimum pay wages.  Deon had never been out of North Carolina before and soon found himself in cold Minnesota, far from home and missing his family.

While Deon concentrated on the Amtrak training, Jeanette had taken the airline class and was pursuing a career as a flight attendant.  After being invited to two flight attendant interview sessions in the Twin Cities and not being selected, Jeanette continued to apply for flight attendant jobs in other parts of the country.  She was successful in being hired by Atlantic Southeast Airlines based in Washington D. C.’s Dulles airport.  She studied hard and completed her training, earning her wings in 2011.

Deon, still in Minnesota, was determined to make Amtrak his career.  He applied for everything that came his way and was hired as a coach cleaner in Washington, D.C., in August 2011.  Deon moved from coach cleaner to onboard service as a lead service attendant.  He has advanced further in his career and is now a conductor based out of Florence, South Carolina, a 2-hour commute from the home he and Jeanette just purchased last year in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Jeanette now works for Delta Airlines in Raleigh as a passenger service agent.  They have been married for over five years.

They give credit to TCU for assisting them in knowing the importance of being on time, writing an effective resume, honing their interviewing skills, and dressing professionally.  They supported each other, worked hard, and had a plan.  In a recent visit to speak to the TCU students at Humphrey, they gave current students inspiration and encouragement to keep their eye on their goals, never give up, and take advantage of the opportunities TCU has to offer.  One student came to me after listening to Jeanette and Deon’s story and said she felt more confident that she could do the same thing and wanted to share her success story with future students.

Thank you, Jeanette and Deon, for your dedication to achieving your goals and sharing your inspirational story with us!