Success Story:
My name is Kevin Taylor. I am a job coach at Lifespan Services. I would like to share one of my high school individual’s success story.

Jacobie is a student in the OCS Program at West Iredell High School. Jacobie comes from a tough neighborhood where there is a lot of drug activity. He lives with his brother and is exposed to a lot of crime near his home. Many times when I would bring him home from a job search, I would let him out of the car and there would be people drinking alcohol in his front yard during the early hours of the day.

Jacobie always talked about wanting to succeed in a job. He had many hurdles to overcome: his home environment, his disability, and even some of his teachers who commented that he would never amount to anything. Jacobie’s brother had given him a car, but he didn’t have insurance so he was not able to drive to school. Jacobie was a very nice young man who only needed a chance.

Without support of a father and living in his situation at a young age, he had gotten into some trouble with the law. When looking for a job, the issue of his past continued to haunt him. He often commented, “if only someone would give me a chance.”

As a job coach, we make suggestions. One of the suggestions with Jacobie was how he was dressing. Unfortunately, people see the outward appearance before they see the person. On a following appointment with Jacobie, he was dressed up and ready to get a job. We went to the Maple House Café to check on a job lead and spoke with the owner about hiring him. She was really tough. She asked him questions and told him exactly what she expected. She told Jacobie that she had left high school and got into trouble, but someone gave her a chance. If he would promise that he would come to work and be dressed appropriately and work hard, she would do the same for him.

Since his first day, Jacobie has been a great worker for the Maple House Café. During my follow-ups, the owner told me that Jacobie was one of the best workers she ever had. She said that he takes great pride in his job and that when he finishes one task, he always looks for something more to do. She said that she wished that all of her employees were as committed to their jobs as Jacobie. She said she would be adding more responsibilities to his job.

During his first interview, Jacobie told me that one day he would like to own a restaurant. The owner of Maple House Café said that Jacobie would continue to move up in the restaurant business because he is a diligent worker and a great asset to her business.

Jacobie has found a new self-worth through his job. He has a new outlook on life. He loves his job and has purchased insurance and is now able to drive himself to work and anywhere else he wants to go. When I see Jacobie, he always thanks me for helping him to find his job. When I asked, “Jacobie, how is the job going?” his reply was, “Great, in fact I am running the place!”