Daughters of Zion Sets the Bar: CNA Program Continues to Empower Shelby County As June Orientation Reaches Full Capacity
By Community Affairs Staff on June 28, 2025
MEMPHIS, TN – In a city often ridiculed for its violent crime and high unemployment, Daughters of Zion offers a gated learning environment crackled with the right energy. Twenty aspiring Certified Nursing Assistants—some just out of high school, others veterans of life’s harder seasons—sat shoulder to shoulder, united by hope, grit, and a shared sense that their next chapter was about to begin. This wasn’t just an orientation. It was a movement.
Welcome to the 10th CNA cohort of Daughters of Zion in the past three years, a force of social reinvention tucked within the larger vision of William and Johnson Career College. Over the past three years, the evening-based, five-week CNA program has quietly achieved what workforce development agencies only dream of: according to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, a nearly 80% completion rate, 85 graduates, and a future poised to cross the 100-graduate threshold in the past 2 ½ years and scores of graduates more since the program first started several years ago. Many arrived unemployed, unhoused, or unseen. They leave as healthcare professionals—with incomes climbing toward $49,500 and dignity restored. Although 45 aspiring students sought to enter the June CNA cohort, enrollment was capped at 20—and only the first applicants to submit all required documentation secured a coveted spot in the class.
Among the newest faces: 2025 Memphis high school graduates Symaria Pippins and Aaliyah Clark, each bringing a diploma and a dream. ”I want to use the CNA class as a stepping stone into my nursing career,” Aaliyah said, as she is already accepted to Middle Tennessee State’s nursing program. “My influence for being in healthcare comes from both my mother and aunt. They both work in the healthcare field and it was the advice of my aunt to pursue the CNA license as she said it will be a great foundation. The DOZ process has been wonderful and it has encouraged my mother to enroll in the August class while she is also pursuing her degree in nursing.” For Symaria, the Commissioners scholarship was more than a lifeline—it was light after darkness – “I feel excited,” Symaria said, “I’m thrilled to be a part of this program.”
Alexis Thompson, with two decades of caregiving experience, spoke candidly: “I had gone through the process of getting my transcript before and it took weeks of being on the phone and constantly following up as it was difficult to get in touch with the school official who is in charge of sending transcripts. I was able to get the transcript in on the day of the deadline. The training will help to start me on my journey further into nursing and provide the necessary skills that I will need. It will make me more knowledgeable with what I have already from being a caregiver. I am looking forward to being in another tax bracket.”
Then there’s Eric Thrailkill, the lone man in the cohort, whose passion for caregiving defies gender stereotypes. “Even though it is a female dominated field, men have a lot to offer. I have learned a lot from working almost 14 years in this field and I have met some very interesting people. I was very shocked to see 20 people here at the orientation – my job has been trying to get a class going for several years and they have not been able to recruit 10 people – that’s why I am not certified. I could not miss this opportunity – I am very glad to be here.”
Guiding the journey is a team as inspiring as the students: Monique Wade, who began by assigning symbolic graduation seats; Natalee Peart Simpson, who reminded them of the power of focus; and Nurse Barbara Jones, who, with stern compassion, reminded them that “you dismiss yourself by not following the rules.”
Here, transformation is not just a mission—it’s a method.
In an era where upward mobility feels more like an illusion than an opportunity, Daughters of Zion is changing the script. And judging by the full house on orientation night, Shelby County is listening.
But Daughters of Zion’s CNA program is not just a workforce initiative—it is a cornerstone of the organization’s broader crime intervention strategy. By offering Certified Nursing Assistant training through William and Johnson Career College, DOZ is proactively addressing the root causes of crime: poverty, hopelessness, and lack of opportunity. Research consistently shows that education and vocational training are among the most effective deterrents to criminal behavior, especially in communities where economic mobility is limited.
Skill-based programs reduce recidivism, increase employment rates, and offer a viable path out of cycles of crime and instability. DOZ’s CNA program turns potential liabilities into community assets—providing young adults, the unemployed, and even those at risk of justice involvement with a structured, purpose-filled alternative that builds self-worth, income, and a future. By equipping participants with in-demand healthcare credentials, Daughters of Zion is not only empowering individuals but also fortifying neighborhoods—proving that the most effective way to stop crime is to give people something meaningful to live for.
To reserve your spot in the next class, call 901-260-9933. Because sometimes, a five-week course doesn’t just change your career—it changes your life.
About Post Author
