Success Story

Family Ties Drive Dad to Find Dream Job

Victor Quibas and a friend were practicing motocross racing in the desert when his bike’s throttle stuck. He lost control as he headed toward a corner going nearly 50 miles per hour, kicking up mounds of dirt and flying off of the bike, landing more than 50 feet away on his tailbone.

As he waited for the ambulance, he recalls, "It was the worst pain I had ever felt in my life." But as a husband and father, Quibas says he also found himself wondering, “What am I going to do? How will I get to work?”

A crushed vertebra and several broken bones kept him in the hospital for six months; many more months of physical therapy followed, and Quibas gradually regained his strength. He began using a wheelchair and did not work for eight years. 

Despite his serious condition, his greatest concerns were always for the welfare of his family.

“Living through the injury was traumatic,” says Quibas. Not working was even harder. But the hardest thing was watching my family go without the simplest things, like eating out or watching a movie. It ultimately influenced me to get assistance in moving ahead.” 

Quibas eventually learned to walk again, but it wasn’t until a fellow churchgoer told his wife about Goodwill that he finally grabbed the chance to make a change for the better. "My wife, Karla, has been my inspiration to move forward." 

In July 2003, he went to Goodwill Industries of Central Arizona (Phoenix), where he attended a Customer Service Representative and Computer Training class.  After graduating, a Goodwill employment specialist helped Quibas secure employment at Wells Fargo Bank.

It was soon evident that banking wasn’t the right fit for Quibas. After several other job placements, in early 2004, he found the job that perfectly matched his skills and preferences—communications operator for the Pointe Hilton Resort in Phoenix.

In 2006, the resort promoted Quibas to communications supervisor. He now oversees and trains new employees at the Hilton, where he is responsible for guest services and phone and internet services. He is also a member of the hotel’s safety and security committee, and was the “Employee of the Year” for 2006. 

Jennifer Baier, Goodwill’s Rehabilitation Services Director, says of her former student, “He was a quick learner and his desire to succeed was apparent. Victor is a tremendous example to those who have barriers to overcome in order to work.”

As a member of the Goodwill’s Business Advisory Council, Quibas capitalizes on the many opportunities he has to share his personal experiences with others, including at a recent graduation.

“Every step, from the beginning until now, has helped me to get to where I am today,” says Quibas, as he advises others to look to Goodwill for help.

“With support from the staff at Goodwill, I was able to regain my self confidence and my ability to support my family.”

Source: Working! Spring 2007