JACKSON, Tenn. — Emily Bryant never imagined she’d find herself perched on a roof, hammering nails into a shed. But there she was, more than a dozen feet off the ground at Goodwill’s new construction training class — scared but determined.

“Oh yeah, I was freaking,” Emily recalled. “My classmates said, ‘You got to overcome your fear,’ and I did.”

That moment, high above the ground with a nail gun in hand, marked a turning point in Emily’s journey. Just eight months earlier, she hit rock bottom and entered rehab after struggling with addiction most of her life.

“I’ve had a rough life,” said Emily, now 33. “But it pays off when you do something different.”

Her wake-up call came after a blackout, when her sister asked, “Would you want your kids to find you this way?” The question “shook me to the core,” Emily said, and she knew she had to change.

She completed a 28-day treatment program in March and moved into a sober living house in Jackson called The Mustard Seed. She also began looking for work — and a lucky mistake led her to Goodwill Career Solutions. She meant to go into the retail store and submit an application, but instead she ended up talking to Career Coach Misty Lumley.

Misty told her about a free Construction Training Program offered by Goodwill. Emily enrolled immediately.

The four-week course, launched in September 2025, is held in a 3,000-square-foot facility at the Bemis Shopping Center on South Highland Avenue, across from the Career Solutions Center. Participants learn to use power tools, read blueprints, do construction math and operate forklifts. They earn OSHA 10 and NCCER certifications and receive training in employability and financial literacy.

A $100 weekly stipend helps cover expenses — for Emily, it meant she could pay rent while attending class.

As the only woman in her cohort, Emily was determined to prove herself. She learned to use a table saw, frame walls and operate a forklift in tight warehouse spaces. Her confidence grew with each day.

“Emily hung right in there with the guys and learned a lot,” Misty said. “She inspired the class, and they really bonded as a team.”

After graduating in October, Emily submitted 17 job applications in a single day, using an online résumé she created with help from Career Solutions staff. Within days, she was hired as a forklift operator at Delta Faucet’s Jackson plant. The job pays more than she’s ever earned.

Part of her new role involves driving an aerial lift, or cherry picker, high into the air in the parts warehouse. Wearing a safety harness, she moves heavy boxes onto pallets. Emily said she’s grateful she faced her fear of heights during the Goodwill class — now, she doesn’t even think about it.

She’s been sober for nine months and is reconnecting with her children, ages 3, 4, 7 and 13, who are currently staying with her sister in Ripley, where Emily grew up. They watched her graduation via video chat and spoke with her afterward.

“My oldest daughter said, ‘I’m proud of you mom.’ That made me feel really good,” Emily said.

She remains in contact with Misty, and one of her classmates from the training now works alongside her at Delta Faucet.

She’s saving money thanks to newfound budgeting skills. She hopes to buy a home for herself and her children and someday start a construction business. She’s even considering going back to school to earn a degree.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had goals,” Emily admitted. “I enjoy talking about the future now.”

She knows she still has a long way to go to rebuild her life and maintain sobriety — but she’s up for the challenge. She’s focused on the road ahead, ready to climb even higher.