Success Story

Greg came to LIFESPAN (Dobson Employment) in 2006 as part of a Surry County School program. A high school junior, Greg’s advanced social skills made him want to be part of typical teenage life, but his limited academic skills held him back. Alienated and angry, he reluctantly agreed to participate at LIFESPAN to gain valuable job skills and encounter a more mature, settled group of people. At first, Greg was challenged by LIFESPAN’s expectations. LIFESPAN staff struggled to help him adapt and learn to resolve issues calmly. When we met with Greg after two difficult months, he expected us to list all of his failings. Instead, we focused on positives and asked how we could get him “on our team.” Gradually, we saw a change. This spring, Greg advocated strongly for getting a community job. LIFESPAN’s Job Coaches, Toni Edwards and Steven Corn, found him his “dream job” working at the big cinema complex in Mt. Airy. Greg caught on fast, learned to multi-task, and had positive relations with the public, including his former high school peers. This fall, Greg is returning to high school to finish out his final semester and will keep his job after he graduates. The school representatives at his IEP meeting were full of praise for what LIFESPAN has done to change Greg’s attitude and give him a boost in self-esteem. But the best comment came from Greg himself, who declared, “I learned a lot at LIFESPAN – I learned how lucky I am.”