As Stephen contemplates his next career move, he reflected on his time at Goodwill with fondness – realizing just how impactful Goodwill has been on his life. “It opened my eyes to a lot of things,” Stephen said. His journey to Goodwill began in high school when a teacher recognized Stephen’s interest in aviation and the ability Evergreen Goodwill’s Youth Aerospace Program could have in transforming a passion for flying and travel into a potential career.
Tag: Young Adults
My Story: Morning-Glory
Morning-Glory’s senior year of high school was cut short due to the pandemic. Unsure of what to do next, a family member referred her to Goodwill Hawaii for help and Morning met with program coordinator Siniva to learn more about their services. Within a few days, she was able to start a job at Burger King, but eventually she reached out to Siniva and told her that she wanted to do something more.
My Story: Calvin Kāʻaialiʻi Matthews
Calvin worked throughout the pandemic as an Office Assistant with MedQUEST, the State of Hawaii's medical coverage program for low-income adults and families, however, his wife lost employment due to COVID-19. During this time, their infant son required regular medical check-ups which was a concern especially during the first year of COVID-19. Because of this, Calvin set a personal goal to complete his Google IT Certificate in order to gain more flexible, well-paid and remote work in the IT field.
My Story: Diondre Ouzts
Growing up, Diondre Ouzts says he was never motivated or inspired by learning. For him, school was always more about sports and socializing than academics. By the time he made it to high school, his athletic talents were his primary reason for attending. Several setbacks and mistakes caused him to become academically ineligible to play high school football. Feeling defeated and disappointed in his fate, Diondre ultimately decided to drop out of school and never imagined he would obtain his high school diploma.
My Story: Mary Strickland
Mary Strickland’s difficulties with mental health began after high school. In 2007, she was a student at the local university working on a bachelor’s degree at the age of 18. Then, one day, she stopped going to class. Suddenly, she was too tired and worn out to even get dressed and drive. In 2010, she
My Story: Gunner Pemberton
Traditional schooling isn’t always the right option for students. This was true for Gunner Pemberton, who was referred to Goodwill® to obtain his GED.
My Story: Meghan Clark
Originally from Atlanta, Meghan Clark relocated to Charlotte after the birth of her daughter to be closer to family. Meghan loves cooking, and had worked in the restaurant industry for most of her career, but when a friend referred her to the free job training programs at the Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont Opportunity Campus (GOC), Meghan embraced the opportunity to make a change.
My Story: Jordon Williams
Jordon Williams has known what he wanted to do since he was a little boy, hearing a calling that most people aren’t lucky enough to hear until they are much older. “All my life, I always loved to build things,” he said.
My Story: Victoria Kaufman
Victoria is a freshman engineering major with a bright future ahead of her. She’s the daughter of immigrant parents who came to the U.S. as refugees from Russia. Last summer, Victoria enrolled in Goodwill’s Summer Bridge program (Goodwill Industries of Denver), designed to support low income and first-generation college students.
My Story: Shannon
Determination is a word that is reoccurring in the description of this young woman. Referred to Goodwill of Western and Northern Connecticut after High School for assistance in attaining employment.
