Success is subjective to each of us. Find your "why", let it guide you through the storms and sunny days and let it be unwavering.
Andrea Cruz Perkins · In Her Own Words
Her Story
About Andrea
Andrea Cruz-Perkins is a dedicated reentry and workforce development professional with more than six years of experience helping justice-involved individuals successfully transition back into their communities and the workforce. As a Reentry Employment Counselor with the Arizona Department of Economic Security's P.R.O.W.D. (Partners for Reentry Opportunities in Workforce Development) program, she equips clients with the tools, confidence, and employment readiness skills needed to achieve long-term stability and self-sufficiency. Her client-centered philosophy emphasizes serving each individual with empathy, respect, and the belief that every person deserves a fresh start.
Throughout her career, Andrea has specialized in delivering evidence-based workforce development classes within federal correctional facilities, halfway houses, and community-based reentry programs. Known for her engaging and unconventional teaching style, she incorporates humor, storytelling, group discussion, and interactive activities to create an environment where participants feel safe to learn, grow, and build confidence. Beyond classroom instruction, she provides personalized coaching and continues to mentor many clients after their release, supporting milestones such as earning a GED, securing meaningful employment, and pursuing careers as peer support specialists. Her work reflects a deep commitment to empowering individuals to overcome barriers and create lasting change.
Andrea is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Counseling Psychology at Southern New Hampshire University, where she maintains a strong academic record and is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. Passionate about second-chance opportunities, workforce equity, and community engagement, she is an active advocate for programs that strengthen pathways to employment and personal transformation. Through her leadership, compassion, and dedication to meeting people where they are, Andrea continues to make a meaningful impact on the lives of individuals rebuilding their futures and the communities they return to.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Andrea
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would attribute my success to providing, not just, like, innovative classes that are fun, that, you know, adults sometimes are mandated to take, but also, providing that individualized service, where, they feel comfortable enough to, talk to me about things that they… they are uncomfortable about. And, that helps me understand the full scope of what's going on, so that I can kind of cater to what they actually need and coach them, and that helps them, you know, with their success.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I actually received career advice from people that have been working, you know, almost over 20 years, and I asked them, like, how do you do it? And they said, to be consistent. And I'm like, okay. So that's what I do, is, I try to be as consistent as I can, for my clients and for myself, and for the job. Make sure I understand what the job requires and what the clients need And to be that consistent person, because they're used to inconsistency. And so being that pinnacle for them, is everything.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The best career advice I would say is to treat each client as they are a new client you will often get into this field, and a lot of people will, you know, tell you, this is the direction you should go into, this is You know, theyll start to implant their ideologies on… onto you, and that's fine, you know, take that with a grain of salt, but treat each person as if it's the new person, and, you know, try to limit the jadedness, because You never know what when, you know, these clients are ready, and when they're not ready. We cant really decide when these clients are going to be ready for positive change or not So, you know, just do your best to implement that change and be supportive.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges are always going to be the clients that are not ready. It's hard because you want to convince them, you want to, and you see the potential in them But sometimes they just simply are not ready. And, So I try to find ways to get in, you know, try to find different methods, especially, like, learning more and more about psychology, trying to find my way in, but at the end of the day they're… they are adults, and They have sovereignty over their decisions, so I can only really plant seeds, and hopefully that seed grows in their mind, like, later on in life.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values of my work in my personal life is just being morally just I think, simply doing the right thing. in my personal life and in my… in my job. It's…You know, not judging people from their past. It's easy to do. I know that there are certain convictions that can be kind of heavy to look at, but, you know, I serve at face value. I tell them all the time, like, I'm only here to help you, I'm not the judge, I'm not…you know, so I heavily base a lot of my work on just being morally just.
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