My Story: Stephanie Richardson

In February 2020, Stephanie Richardson enrolled in the pharmacy technician program at Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake. Initially attending class at the Goodwill’s training center in downtown Baltimore, her participation was halted on March 20, 2020, due to COVID-19. Remaining focused on education and training, Stephanie elected to take the National Retail Federation Business of Retail online course during the closure. Training remotely, she worked diligently and at her own pace to acquire the retail certification.

In late July, Stephanie resumed the pharmacy technician training program virtually. For five weeks, she reviewed pharmacy calculations and mastered pharmacy theory, and she successfully passed the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) in late August, then obtained her CPR certification 6 days later.

Stephanie was assigned to a pharmacy in Baltimore to complete her 160-hour clinical experience and she started her externship in early September. Throughout the assignment, the Goodwill retention specialist received stellar reviews from the pharmacy manager about Stephanie’s performance and attendance. Stephanie demonstrated determination about her career aspirations by completing online pharmacy training modules and her Virtual Job Training (VJT) assessment, on which she received a perfect score. She also updated her résumé to reflect her latest accomplishments and to apply for employment opportunities.

Her externship concluded on October 5, and the next day she was offered a permanent full-time pharmacy technician position.

Stephanie is overjoyed with her new opportunity. “I am grateful for this opportunity!” she exclaimed. “I am grateful for Goodwill’s support and belief in me. God is Good!”