When Myhanh Lopes was just 17 years old, she had to choose between working to support herself and her new baby and finishing high school. She chose her family.

After quitting high school, Lopes, 54, of Pittsburg, started a retail job where she worked for more than 30 years. But it was a demanding job and often cost her precious time with her family. So during the COVID-19 pandemic, she sought to improve her skill set and find a job with a better work-life balance.

“We had to grow up quickly and figure things out to get by,” she said of herself and her then-boyfriend, now her husband, with whom she raised three children. “I grew with the company in a sense, but I also gave up being with my little kid’s birthday parties and being unable to take them to after-school sports.”

Lopes enrolled in an Administrative Careers Training, or ACT, program with Opportunity Junction, a nonprofit that provides health care and office administration training, support, work experience and placement assistance to motivated Contra Costa County job seekers. It helps those facing personal and systemic employment barriers launch careers that lead to financial security.

After working hard on the ACT program, Lopes obtained the Microsoft Office certification.

She now works for another nonprofit, SHELTER, Inc., as a program specialist, where she uses her new skills to prevent homelessness and provide shelter for veterans and their families.

Lopes emphasized the importance of self-belief and inner strength.

“It’s never too late to try something out of your comfort zone,” Lopes said.