Alexandra Hoppe (AH) came to job development with no paid work experience. She was focused on working in Sutherlin due to transportation. She really wanted to work in the schools as a teacher aide but was not qualified. She did not pass the required Compass Test nor the required college credits. We tried a sample Compass Test and she was unable to answer any of the sample questions. We looked for other work but either she wasn’t interested in the type of work or did not have the required skills or experience. We were finally able to secure an On-The-Job-training as a lobby/laundry clerk at a local motel. After her first day, she felt it was not a job she liked. She struggled to catch on to the rapid pace in the laundry room. Her uncomfortably was very obvious to the management and she was discharged on the second day. AH was devastated and wanted to give up. We looked for other work but nothing seemed to interest her.

After a brief period, she decided to try college to either pass the Compass Test or start college classes for early childhood education. She discovered she needed to take pre-requisite classes to get up to college level. The classes were quite challenging and she determined quickly that college was not a viable option.

Add caption text here.

When she came back to job development services, her support team including Sunrise addressed the fact that she really did not have much “life experience” and suggested the Path-to-Employment option at the Sutherlin Sunrise Shop and Save store.  AH’s goal was to learn all aspects of retail sales which included operating the cash register. AH freely admitted that math was her worst subject but she was willing to give it a try. The training program gave her the chance to mature, learn skills through a personalized pace/manner and helped her to overcome her fear of money. Under the guidance and encouragement of Sunrise Staff, she blossomed and successfully mastered all duties, including the cash register! She graduated from the training program and is now a confident, competent and valued Sunrise employee. She learned to overcome her apprehensions, show enthusiasm, and participate fully (“give it her all”) to achieve a goal. The lessons she has learned will carry her far in life. It is so rewarding to share in her personal growth and ultimate success.