Ethan's Success Story!

By -


I like to refer to Ethan as the "Big Ben" of our local Wegman's. As a diehard Pittsburg Steelers fan, Ethan certainly knows to take this as a compliment. He is approaching the completion of his first year of employment as a Helping Hands Cart Attendant and has consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic and winning attitude on and off the "field".

 Ethan began job assessments with me in 2015 and I quickly noted both his eagerness to learn and willingness to work. It was not long after beginning job development that Ethan interviewed for and was offered his current position at Wegman's. Despite this being his very first job, Ethan showed a high level of initiative and resolve through his initial training and was soon working independently to collect carts, greet customers and assist with carry-out orders. The Helping Hands position is a tough one as employees work outdoors in the summer and winter months, but Ethan has not once complained about his work. He always has a smile on his face and a friendly word for each customer that he encounters.

Wegman's recently recognized Ethan as their Helping Hands Employee of the Month. I believe that his customers and co-workers would agree that he's a true "MVP".


John Callahan
Senior Vocational Counselor
Location: Richmond, VA, USA

Comments

  1. UnknownJuly 15, 2016 at 9:20 PM

    Way to go Ethan!! We're so proud of you. Uncle Oscar

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownAugust 5, 2016 at 3:15 PM

    WOW !!! how blessed I am to call this young man my son and my hero !! Words can not express how proud I am of him and how far he has come along in so many areas because of this job. Thank you John and Thank you Wegman's for believing in him and seeing his full potentional and all of his goodness that I see in him everyday. This job has changed his life in so many positive ways and has made him a confident and happy young man !

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts!

Kristin Is Keen On Her New Job

By Anonymous -
Image
Kristin and Nancy began working together in June of 2018. Together they then found her a job at a local Pizza Hut in September of that year. Kristin was interested in customer service, food service or animal care so finding the position at Pizza Hut was a great fit. There are limited employers in her area so they looked at the few employers that were in her area and also branched out to Smithfield. Smithfield is the closest town with employers and that is where she found the job.  Kristin is very friendly and easy going so it is easy for her to get along with everyone. Kristin is highly motivated to learn new things, which has paid off in her job as a crew member. She was hired as a Customer Service Representative, but now also serves customers and runs the register.  Upon trying to place her in a job in her area, Nancy and Kristin faced a couple of other obstacles. Kristin relies on her mom to transport her at this time and has had a very limited work history. In the...
Read more

Peter Mance Jr.'s PBS debut

By -
Image
  Justin Cordin met Peter Mance Jr. ,family-centered outdoor and traveling enthusiast on February 2020. Cordin introduced Mance to various interviewing techniques to help him communicate with HR professionals which could determine prospective jobs he would apply for. Mance brought to the table an array of personal strengths such as determination, ambition and a fearless personality which contributed to his success. This meant Cordin had a great canvas to work with! He helped Mance find ways to favorably package and present past work experiences (including working as an on-camera TV host, production and some filming) to future employers. For example, Mance and his mom created and run a T.V. series and Cordin together with Mance reviewed ways to pitch the idea as a series to T.V. executives. Since their meeting, Mance has improved in leaps and bounds. It is evident in his newfound confidence when engaging in dialogue. He was previously reticent and nervous when speaking. Wh...
Read more

2 billion people will need this tech by 2050: Injured vet shares the good and bad

By -
Image
Phil Swinford's house is full of tech that helps him live more independently, but he's betting it's also going to help him to walk again. (Phil Swinford plays music on his phone.Megan Wollerton/CNET) " OK Google , text Pamela ICE [in case of emergency]," says retired US Army Col. Phil Swinford from his home in the Virginia suburbs, roughly an hour's drive from Washington, DC. He's using Google Assistant on his Android phone to talk to his wife, Pam, who's working today at her consignment shop, the Copper Cricket, a few miles away. I'm listening in, which feels a little too invasive, but it's OK: This text is just for demo purposes. "Sure," Google's AI responds. "What's the message?" "Hey, babe. I love you," Phil says clearly and deliberately into his phone. "I got, 'Hey, babe. I love you,'" it speaks back to him. "Do you wanna send it or change it?" "Send i...
Read more

Lauren found success through Vocational Counseling!

By -
Image
Katelyn Lacy, a vocational counselor in the Central Virginia region, started working with Lauren Garrett in April of 2017.  They began by completing extensive job development training for four and a half months. Together, they worked on job interviewing skills, social interactions within interviews as well as with coworkers.  Lauren worked on distinguishing boundaries with coworkers as well as learning appropriate topics of conversation in the workplace. While Lauren has many personal strengths — she is a straightforward and friendly person— when Katelyn began working with her it was clear she wasn’t a fan of change. However, as time went on, Katelyn was able to support Lauren through the transition of finding employment, transportation, and learning communication styles with different individuals in different environments.  After this learning period and 11 interviews, Lauren obtained her current position at UVA Runk Dining Hall with Aramark as a Food Service worke...
Read more