Powering a New Career: UEI Houston Graduate Finds Success

When Vaniah Hemenway lost her job, she faced an uncertain future. With limited options and a family depending on her, she knew something needed to change. United Education Institute (UEI) in Houston helped put her on a path toward a new career.

Today, Hemenway is among the first graduates of UEI’s Houston campus. She works as an electrician technician, putting the skills she learned in the classroom to work in the field.

For Hemenway, the accomplishment represents more than completing a career training program. It is a step toward the stability she wants for herself and her children.

“When I think about my journey at UEI, I’m thankful for how everything worked out,” Hemenway said. “After losing my job, I didn’t have many options, but UEI was there.”

Determined to create new opportunities, Hemenway enrolled in UEI Houston’s Electrician Technician program. She also secured a work-study position on campus, allowing her to gain experience while pursuing her education.

Although she began her journey facing significant uncertainty, Hemenway quickly found encouragement from the people around her.

“From day one, the school welcomed me with open arms,” she said. “The staff is wonderful and always willing to help students with anything they can.”

She credits her instructors for helping her develop the knowledge and confidence to succeed, noting each brought a different teaching style while sharing a commitment to helping students understand the material.

Hemenway also discovered the importance of maintaining a positive attitude, building relationships with classmates and instructors, and asking questions when she needed help.

That determination carried her through the program and ultimately to graduation, making her part of an important milestone for UEI Houston, which opened its doors in 2025.

Dr. Shalisa Powell, campus president of UEI Houston, said Hemenway’s accomplishment reflects the determination and potential of the students the campus was created to serve.

“Watching Vaniah become one of our first graduates at UEI Houston is an incredibly proud moment for our entire campus,” Powell said. “She came to us determined to create a better future for herself and her children, and she turned that determination into action. She embraced her education, worked hard and demonstrated what is possible when opportunity meets perseverance. To see her now working in her chosen field at Ram Telecom is exactly why we do what we do. On behalf of our entire UEI Houston family, congratulations, Vaniah. We are proud of you, and we cannot wait to see what you accomplish next.”

For Hemenway, the driving force behind her success has always been her family.

“The three things that keep me motivated are my kids, my family and my dreams,” she said. “My kids are my life and the reason I keep going.”

She knows building a better life does not happen overnight. It requires sacrifice, persistence and the willingness to keep moving forward even when circumstances seem overwhelming.

Now, with her diploma in hand and a job in her chosen field, Hemenway is seeing the results of that hard work.

Her journey from unemployment to becoming an electrician technician is a reminder that difficult circumstances do not have to determine what comes next.

“UEI has given me the skills, support and opportunity to build a better future for myself and my kids,” she said. “I’m excited for what’s ahead.”

For one of UEI Houston’s first graduates, that future is already taking shape.