When Amber Whye reflects on her work at Alvis, she does not begin with job descriptions or daily tasks. She begins with the people she serves. People who are rebuilding their lives. People who are rediscovering their worth. People who are holding on to hope during some of the most uncertain seasons they have ever faced. From the way Amber speaks about her role, it quickly becomes clear that this work is more than a profession to her. It is a calling shaped by compassion, patience, and a deep belief in transformation.
Amber’s path into reentry and workforce development began long before she joined Alvis. As a participant in the Restoration Academy under Mayor Michael B. Coleman, she experienced how structured guidance, encouragement, and meaningful programming can change a person’s outlook. Later, her time in the Columbus Urban League’s Work Readiness Program gave her practical skills, confidence, and a strong sense of community. She saw firsthand what it meant to be surrounded by people who believed in her potential. Those experiences planted something important in Amber’s heart. They taught her what it looks like to support someone through uncertainty. They taught her how vital it is to have people who will stand with you while you find your footing. She carried those lessons with her, and eventually they became the foundation of her work at Alvis.
Today, Amber serves as a Case Manager for EDGE, one of the agency’s signature workforce development programs. For her, being part of EDGE is personal. It reflects the same encouragement and support she once received, now offered to participants who come through the door searching for direction. Amber often says that being an EDGE Case Manager is one of the greatest honors of her life, because she knows how important it is to have someone in your corner, someone who sees your strengths even when you do not.
Relationships are at the heart of Amber’s work. She recalls one participant who entered the program weighed down by uncertainty. He had family responsibilities, lingering legal concerns, and a deep sense of worry about how he would move forward. But Amber immediately recognized his determination. She watched him show up every day, complete certifications, update his résumé, apply for jobs, and push through the moments when discouragement tried to take hold. By the time he graduated, he had secured independent housing, purchased a reliable vehicle, earned industry certifications, and landed a strong job that allowed him to support his family with pride. His story is powerful, but for Amber it is also familiar, because she has witnessed many people find stability and direction through the support of EDGE.
Amber is clear about what makes Alvis unique. It is not only the quality of the training or the workforce readiness resources, although those are essential. What distinguishes Alvis is the heart behind the work. Amber takes time to learn each participant’s story, to identify their strengths, and to uncover the skills they may not realize they have. She listens to their goals, their fears, and their dreams. She helps them imagine a future shaped not by their past challenges but by their potential. Instead of placing people into the first job available, she works to connect them to meaningful opportunities that align with their abilities and aspirations. She believes that participants deserve not just employment, but careers that offer dignity, purpose, and room for growth.
Amber also understands the misconceptions that often surround returning citizens. Too many people assume that individuals involved in the justice system lack motivation or ability. But Amber sees something completely different every day. She sees people who are hardworking, eager to learn, thoughtful, intelligent, and determined to rewrite their stories. She sees parents trying to support their families. She sees individuals hungry for a chance to prove themselves. She sees people who are deserving of grace and opportunity. Amber wishes the broader community could see what she sees, because her daily experience reminds her that returning citizens are simply people who have faced hard moments but are working tirelessly to rebuild.
On the days that are challenging, Amber finds strength in the very participants she serves. Many are rebuilding trust with their families, healing from difficult pasts, or learning to navigate independence again. Knowing that she plays a part in their journey gives her purpose. The progress she sees in them motivates her to keep going.
Amber describes EDGE with three meaningful words. Vigorous, because the work requires commitment and discipline. Inspirational, because the stories shared within the program fill the room with hope and encouragement. Powerful, because participants discover strength within themselves that they may never have recognized before. That power will be on full display on December 17, when the next EDGE cohort celebrates graduation, a moment Amber looks forward to as an opportunity to witness courage, growth, and pride all coming together.
Helping participants discover their strengths is one of Amber’s greatest joys. She listens to their stories, identifies the skills that emerge from lived experience, and helps them connect those strengths to real career paths. She believes that her role is not to decide a participant’s future for them, but to walk alongside them as they choose their own direction.
What people may not realize is that this work changes Amber too. Watching participants rebuild their confidence strengthens her own. Seeing them persevere through adversity encourages her. Their resilience often becomes her inspiration. The transformation she witnesses daily shapes her personally and professionally, teaching her to blend compassion with structure, empathy with accountability, and hope with realism.
Looking forward, Amber feels energized by the growing reach of EDGE and the increasing number of lives it can touch. She is excited for every new participant, every new partnership, and every new story of restoration waiting to unfold. And through it all, she remains grateful for the chance to serve.
Participants may arrive at Alvis without stability or support, but they do not leave that way. They leave with confidence, clarity, and skills they can build on. Most importantly, they leave with hope. In every possible way, Amber Whye embodies the mission of Alvis. She does not just guide people through a program. She walks with them through the fragile, courageous work of beginning again. With every person she supports, she continues to shine a steady, unwavering light on the truth at the heart of reentry work. When someone believes in you, even before you fully believe in yourself, everything begins to change.