Empowering Dreams: Celebrating employU Clients’ Journeys to Fulfilling Careers

As part of National Disability Employment Month (NDEAM), we’re taking a moment to celebrate employU clients who have taken the steps to turn their passions into lifelong career paths. Fueled by determination and ambition, each individual highlighted below brings a unique spark as they navigate the workforce. At employU, we empower our clients to transform their interests into a journey towards a profession that is not only sustainable, but also fulfilling. Connecting our clients’ passions with career opportunities, we proudly celebrate their achievements alongside them as they thrive in environments where they truly shine.

Harmony

Since she was young, Harmony has dreamed of getting into Real Estate. A high school student with aspirations of becoming a Real Estate Agent, she was connected with her employU Employment Specialist, Candace, for help gaining experience within the industry. With Candace’s help, Harmony completed an On-the-Job training with Align Right Realty. Harmony worked as an office assistant and was trained on how to complete MLS listings and upload them into the database for the realty company. She was even offered an On-the-Job training with another Align Right Realty location. This will allow Harmony to learn even more about the industry, including the marketing aspect. After gaining some hands-on experience, Harmony is even more excited about a future in Real Estate and knows she’s making the right decision when it comes to her future career.

Clayton

Since he was a child, Clayton had an interest in animals. He always seemed to have a connection with animals but was especially in tune with the dolphins. “This kid is the animal whisper,” his sister, Shelby explains. Fascinated by the dolphins, Clayton was eager to learn more. “[Dolphins] are beautiful, graceful, and smart like us,” Clayton explains.

With an interest in marine environmentalism sparked, Clayton began attending the College of the Florida Keys and completed his certifications in Marine Mammal Behavior and Training and Professional Research Diving. He met his college professor, Dr. Jason Spadaro, who became a mentor and encouraged Clayton to pursue his dream of working with marine life. Once Clayton came to employU, his Employment Specialist Sheila was able to place Clayton in an on-the-job training (OJT) with Mote, primarily working on Mote’s coral reef restoration project. Today he is employed with Mote, working in a career that fulfills a lifelong passion and dream. Read Clayton’s story here. Watch his story here.

Kaitlyn

With aspirations of becoming a music teacher, Kaitlyn came to employU after graduating from high school wanting to learn more. Already an accomplished musician, Kaitlyn wanted to teach children how to play music but didn’t know if it would be possible with her vision loss. She volunteered during the summer working with other students with visual impairments but wanted to branch out to music. She was introduced to Peggie at Bach Children’s and they hit it off right away. As part of her on-the-job training, she worked twice a week alongside Peggie. She plays music for a preschool music therapy class and has recently learned to conduct the youth orchestra. Her duties also include providing support for the teacher during orchestra class and private lessons. Exceeding expectations while gaining experience, Kaitlyn is very happy to be able to work with the kids each day.

Josue

As one of employU’s first clients, Josue knows how important it is to have someone in your corner to fight for your passions. Though visually impaired, he was determined to make a career out of working with animals… and our Executive Director, Keith, shared that determination. Josue came to employU in November of 2012. At the time, employU was a lot smaller than it is today. Keith was doing a lot of the services himself and took on Josue as a client.

Together, Keith and Josue sent applications to over 50 positions. Jose then decided to go to school for pet grooming. Once he completed that, with Keith’s assistance, he began applying to positions again. After some persistence on both Josue and Keith’s part, Josue got a call from PetCo, offering him a position as a pet stylist. Today, more than ten years later, Josue has built a reputation as a go-to groomer. “Seeing how far he’s come, I could not be more proud of him,” Keith expresses. A journey that started with employU, has become a life-long career path proving that passion, persistence, and determination can go a long way. Read more of Josue’s story here. Watch Josue’s story here.