“It is said that if you find your passion, follow it, and you will never have to work for the rest of your life. I have found my passion, and I believe it marks the beginning of the rest of my life for my family and me.”
“Working as a young female architect in a predominantly male profession in Ghana was a bit challenging. With the help of my former boss I was able to establish myself as a credible architect and project manager. I oversaw various projects and portfolios of all sizes across the country.
I came to the U.S. to join my husband. I loved that there was so much to see here in terms of architecture. We read about America being the land of opportunity. You hear breathtaking stories of ordinary people creating empires out of virtually nothing. I expected that securing a professional job here would not be a very difficult thing, but I was in for a rude awakening.
Having been a career woman—or a ‘Boss Chick’ as we say back home in Ghana—I wanted very badly to get back to a professional career. I got a job at Walmart as a cashier and in a month was promoted to customer service manager. I learned about UpGlo when a cousin of my mate told me that UpGlo had helped his mother. I applied that night and finished all the online classes in a day. I had previously paid an online service to help me create a professional resume, and quickly realized that was never going to get me anywhere.
I attended as many UpGlo-organized events as my schedule would allow. It was through one of these events that I got to know about the Lendlease, the organization I now work for. It is said that if you find your passion, follow it, and you will never have to work for the rest of your life. I have found my passion, and I believe it marks the beginning of the rest of my life for my family and me.”
In her home country of Ghana, Belinda was –and still is– an ambitious woman who had built a successful career as an architect and project manager. She oversaw portfolios and projects of all sizes across the country. UpGlo was proud to champion Belinda’s professional ambitions in Chicago, supporting her in rebuilding a career in project management and design with McDonald’s corporate offices.