MERS Goodwill

At the young age of 16, Ryan Reed became his family’s sole caretaker. His mother had been diagnosed with diabetes before he was born and her health deteriorated after Ryan was born. Ryan put his education on hold and dropped out of high school in order to care for his ailing mother.

After his mother’s death in 2006, Ryan took steps toward a new direction in his life and he knew exactly who to call. He contacted MERS/Goodwill and was connected with an employment specialist. Ryan went through a series of different job assessments to assist in placement for a position that would allow him to excel.

“We offered options like training and career exploration,” says Ryan’s employment specialist. “His confidence was low and he didn’t know what he was capable of. Doing the more difficult assessments showed him that he was able to accomplish a lot more than he realized.”

After working with the employment specialist, he was hired for his very first job as a greeter at Weekends Only. This position gave Ryan the perfect environment in which to focus his skill and hard work ethic. After six months, he was promoted to and is currently working in customer service. Ryan says he enjoys the interaction with people and the fast-paced atmosphere that customer service requires.

Recently, Ryan received his GED and continues to take classes at the Community College. He plans to earn his bachelor’s degree at a four-year university in the near future. Ryan’s goal is to be a technical support specialist and he feels his current position is a good foundation. Now with a job, an education plan and a car, he has the freedom and resources to keep striving toward his next goal.

“Goodwill offered me the resources I needed,” said Ryan. “Through the assessment and nurturing that my specialist provided, I learned professional courtesy and how to stay focused on tasks. I knew that with the extra assistance and gained confidence, I would be able to reach my goals.”

His employment specialist agreed, “Ryan did it all on his own. He just needed to be pointed in the right direction.”