Snellville native Katherine Dobbs had been living in Florida with her husband when the COVI0-19 pandemic hit. Only 22 years old, she and her husband both contracted the virus but were thankfully largely asymptomatic and recovered quickly. The unfortunate result of the pandemic was the loss of both their jobs. They decided to retum to Gwinnett County and settled in Grayson in October 2020.

While in Florida, Katherine had been an emergency dispatcher at the Manatee County Sheriffs Office. Though she enjoyed the work, the overnight shifts could be challenging. Having long been interested in the medical field and knowing several phlebotomists with a passion for their jobs, Katherine enrolled in the phlebotomy course offered by Gwinnett Technical College. When she inquired about funding, she was referred to Goodwill’s Pleasant Hill Career Center. The Goodwill team was able to secure funding through the Anthem grant, andKatherine began her training program in mid-January 2021.

Katherine performed well in the coursework and passed her national exam on the first attempt. Complications with her externship placement have caused a delay in her seeking employment in the field; however, her instructor suggested that members of the cohort explore positions as medical screeners. Katherine found a job at Resurgens Orthopedic in Snellville and joined the organization on March 1 as a medical screener at a salary of $13 per hour.

Katherine loves her job and has been promoted twice in the last four months. She’s presently making S14 per hour and another raise is forthcoming.