Briana is 24 years old. She describes herself as a happy person, and enjoys competitive cheerleading in her free time. Briana works 18 hours a week, making $8.40 per hour, at Red Robin Restaurant in Tigard, Oregon, two bus rides away from her home in Beaverton. Her duties include folding napkins, rolling cleaned silverware, and preparing wrappers for burgers. Briana used funds through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services to hire a job coach to help her develop this job.
Francesca lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and works at the William Rowan Elementary School as a teacher's assistant. All her life, she has been interested in a career helping children. She began working in the school system as an AmeriCorps member, did very well, and was offered a paid job.
Mia lives in Des Moines, Iowa. She enjoys running, swimming, bicycling, movies, and traveling with her friends and boyfriend. She also enjoys speaking and singing in front of large groups of people. In high school, Mia participated in theater and speech competitions. She also is an avid reader and writer and enjoys communicating through her written work and videos. Mia is now putting all of these skills and interests together to run her own business.
Through a comprehensive planning process, Matt’s team of support professionals helped him find a job he enjoys at the Sheraton Hotel. He brings his tool set with him to work (a birthday gift from his co-workers) and does maintenance projects and painting. He works 30 hours per week, and benefits from a supportive group of co-workers.
With the support of a career planning process and her family and friends, Dusty was able follow her dream. She enrolled in a theater class, took a course at a local college, and made use of creative funding to develop her own business. In 2006, Dusty’s Puppets became a reality. Dusty entertains young children with puppet shows at birthday parties, local farmers’ markets, daycare centers, and schools.
Andy Owens works in the price task force department at Powell's City of Books in Portland, Oregon. He is driven and committed to doing anything he sets his mind to. Andy has cerebral palsy and can operate a computer by using a head switch. With this technology, he is able to scan and price books. In addition to his own determination, Andy's employment success was due to the involvement of family members who advocated for him at school, led an employment-planning process, and continue to support Andy on the job.
David is a 41-year-old man from Maryland. He enjoys being busy, often working at several paid and several volunteer jobs at the same time. David especially likes work related to film, CDs, and other media. He and his job coach benefited from the opportunity to work with a One-Stop Career Center to find this type of job.
Ian lives on Oahu, Hawai'i, and enjoys movies, dance, and karate. He is employed as a courtesy clerk at Safeway. With the support and high expectations of his family, he was able to train for this job while still in high school, enabling a smooth transition into the kind of work he wanted.
Chad is a man in his 20s who enjoys physical jobs, is outgoing and loves baking. He hoped to find a job that would keep him very busy without being too fast-paced and would allow him to be social, interacting with and helping customers. As Chad began a bakery job, although the job tasks were a perfect match for his interests, the fast pace, the structure, and the change in management were not. Instead of giving up, Chad found another position where the pace and customer interaction matched his skills and personality. He now works full time with full benefits.
After Josh graduated from high school, he decided to gain additional experience as an AmeriCorps volunteer. Like many young people, he had tried various jobs in high school, but still wasn't sure what kind of job he really wanted. His time with AmeriCorps helped him take the next step toward a career. In fact, Josh has opened his own business as a result of knowledge and experience he gained in AmeriCorps.
Francesca lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and works at the William Rowan Elementary School as a teacher's assistant. All her life, she has been interested in a career helping children. She began working in the school system as an AmeriCorps member, did very well, and was offered a paid job.
Mia lives in Des Moines, Iowa. She enjoys running, swimming, bicycling, movies, and traveling with her friends and boyfriend. She also enjoys speaking and singing in front of large groups of people. In high school, Mia participated in theater and speech competitions. She also is an avid reader and writer and enjoys communicating through her written work and videos. Mia is now putting all of these skills and interests together to run her own business.
Through a comprehensive planning process, Matt’s team of support professionals helped him find a job he enjoys at the Sheraton Hotel. He brings his tool set with him to work (a birthday gift from his co-workers) and does maintenance projects and painting. He works 30 hours per week, and benefits from a supportive group of co-workers.
With the support of a career planning process and her family and friends, Dusty was able follow her dream. She enrolled in a theater class, took a course at a local college, and made use of creative funding to develop her own business. In 2006, Dusty’s Puppets became a reality. Dusty entertains young children with puppet shows at birthday parties, local farmers’ markets, daycare centers, and schools.
Ian lives on Oahu, Hawai'i, and enjoys movies, dance, and karate. He is employed as a courtesy clerk at Safeway. With the support and high expectations of his family, he was able to train for this job while still in high school, enabling a smooth transition into the kind of work he wanted.