You Got This: One CCC Student’s Journey to CAMT

When Rodney Batey walked into the Certified Apartment Maintenance (CAMT) program, he carried more than a course schedule. He brought resolve.

After navigating a heart condition, depression, and a decades-long gap since high school, Rodney found steady footing at Sunshine Rescue Mission in Flagstaff, where staff helped him stabilize and chart next steps. A referral from a workforce specialist, in collaboration with the rescue mission’s leadership, opened the door to the CAMT program, and a vocational rehabilitation assessment with a counselor clarified his strengths: excellent hands-on and assembly aptitude.

For Rodney, that introduction to CAMT was the lead he needed. “If you give me a lead, I’m gonna try to follow it and go through with it,” he says, a mindset that quickly defined his experience in the program. With each new opportunity, Rodney committed fully, turning guidance into action and steadily building the confidence and skills that would carry him through to certification.

From the outset, the journey demanded grit. Rodney’s first assessment landed in the 40 percent range, but he returned just the following week and lifted his score to 88 percent, a leap that affirmed he could master the material with practice and support. That growth carried him into the CAMT exam, where he surpassed the qualification threshold and earned his Arizona certification, a credential he’s proud to carry.

For much of his life, Rodney struggled with reading, a challenge that made school difficult and left him doubting his academic potential. “I always thought I was a failure in everything. I told myself I’d never be able to go to college,” he says, reflecting on how he has now participated in a college program, completed it, and graduated. “This is awesome.”

Instruction clicked for him, he says, because the CAMT teaching approach broke complex concepts down into practical steps, welcomed questions, and stayed responsive to individual needs. “When you asked a question, he was right there on top of it,” Rodney says of the instructor’s style, noting that clarity and encouragement turned challenging material into something he could tackle.

That support extended beyond the classroom. When Rodney didn’t have a computer, a staff member at Sunshine Rescue Mission loaned him one so he could join Zoom classes. That access was crucial during a hospital stay, allowing him to stay connected to the course to keep moving forward.

“People behind you care,” he says. “I kept hearing, ‘You got this,’ and if they say you got this, you got it. You just gotta learn how to motivate it.”

The program’s open‑door approach has also given Rodney a clear pathway to keep building. He’s aware that certificates can stack, courses can be targeted to strengthen specific skills, and guidance is available when questions arise. “If I feel like I’m lacking, I know they’re available. All I do is ask. The coordinator can work with me to further what I want to pursue,” he says.

Rodney recommends CAMT to anyone who sees themselves in his story, someone ready to start, even if starting feels daunting. His experience points to instruction that meets learners where they are, a support network that makes access possible, and the confidence that comes from measurable progress, week after week.

Most of all, however, Rodney emphasizes the mindset that carried him through. Don’t assume anything is impossible. Ask for help. Accept the encouragement. Keep going.

“If I could redo it after high school, and this program was here, I would do this again,” he says. “It’s well worth it. I love it, and I highly recommend it.”