Even as a kid, Ashley had a disposition toward helping people, but she didn’t always know how best to apply that selflessness. A conversation with a teacher during her freshman year in high school gave her direction, and Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley gave her the fuel to maximize her desire to help others. The teacher made Ashley aware of GIMV’s Youth Career Development Program (formerly Transitions Youth Program), which helps students prepare to transition from high school to employment. She enrolled and participated throughout high school, working with GIMV to join a local assisted-living home as a volunteer assistant while simultaneously honing her job skills and plotting a future career path. As part of the program, GIMV’s pre-employment transition courses helped Ashley write her own resume and prepare for job interviews. These exercises helped her recognize her strengths and abilities, leading Ashley to research future career options before ultimately deciding to become a nursing assistant. “I just wanted to be helpful anyway I could,” she said. Ashley loved getting to know the patients and hearing their stories while volunteering at the assisted-living home, not to mention gaining invaluable, real-world experience that helped her develop confidence, patience and perseverance. Competency in those three areas represent fundamental traits in people that work in the medical field, and she would need those characteristics to earn certification and thrive as a nursing assistant. “If I could use one word to describe Ashley, it would be perseverance,” said her job coach. Ashley won GIMV’s Graduate of the Year award in 2017, but little did she know she’d have to demonstrate that perseverance in a different type of classroom setting. Like many professions in health care, nursing assistants must obtain certification by passing a rigorous exam. Ashley failed on her first try. She proved her...

Shawn knew he could live independently. He just needed a little help to get there. After graduating from high school, Shawn continued in Frederick County Public Schools as part of its SUCCESS program, a secondary vocational program for young adults with disabilities. He earned his Maryland Certificate of Completion while starting to work in a local grocery store, stocking shelves and cleaning. But Shawn knew he could do more. He enjoyed the combination of learning and working, so he turned to Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley’s Supported Employment Program to continue his pursuit of a career that would support his goal of independence. Within the program, GIMV staff assessed Shawn's needs and talents, tailoring job-training and personal finance resources, among other services, to support his dream. That dream: to own his own home and marry his longtime girlfriend, Rachael. GIMV helped Shawn find a full-time job with more growth potential at Fort Detrick, the U.S. Army base in Frederick County. The position represented a big step on his journey to independence. Shawn's position is contracted through Horizon Goodwill Industries, GIMV’s Western Maryland neighbor that also serves several counties in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The two Goodwill districts work together to make sure that Shawn has everything he needs to succeed, including ongoing training with a Goodwill job coach, securing transportation to and from work everyday, and understanding his finances. Thanks largely to his new position, Shawn has achieved his goals. He and Rachael moved out of his parents’ home and into an apartment before purchasing a home of their own in 2016. A year later, they got married. Not too shabby for GIMV’s 2017 Achiever of the Year. “Goodwill is like family to me,” Shawn said. “They help show that people with disabilities are just like everyone else.”

Andrew spent four years rolling silverware and prepping the kitchen at a restaurant in Eldersburg, Md. He enjoyed it, but yearned for work experience beyond food service. In November 2015, Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley connected Andrew with Rachuba Group, a family-owned, real estate management company likewise based in Carroll County. Andrew started volunteering as an office assistant in the company’s Piney Ridge apartment complex, sharpening skills instead of the blades he prepped at the restaurant. A scant seven months later, Andrew had impressed Rachuba Group with his professionalism and dependability as a volunteer to the point of earning a paid, full-time position as an administrative office assistant. Andrew earned GIMV’s 2016 Graduate of the Year award and began to thrive soon after joining the Piney Ridge staff. He mastered office tasks such as filing, copying, and mailing, before seeking and accepting challenges in other areas of employment. Andrew enrolled in GIMV courses on Microsoft Excel and Photoshop, which helped him earn and complete new tasks like creating flyers and event pages, processing invoices, updating maintenance work orders and generating notices for residents. But his initiative extends beyond the office door, and Rachuba Group has recognized and rewarded his gumption. Andrew expanded his knowledge of rental property management by participating in training programs on fair housing and discrimination. That’s helped him go beyond his comfort zone — he gives tours of the apartment complex to potential residents.