The Future is Bright!
By Maria Angeles LinaresLife can be challenging and there are no promises or guarantees. However, it is how you face and cope with the challenges that makes all the difference. To say that Andre St. Hilaire has had it rough is an understatement. He and his family were involved in a tragic automobile accident that resulted in head trauma for Andre and the loss of both his parents.
Andre has an infectious smile and a rosy outlook on life that cannot be dampened. Since that tragic day, Andre has made lemonade out of lemons. Andre was born with an intellectual disability. He has been living in a Miami Gardens group home for the last 11 months and he loves his housemates. Andre is considered the big brother and gets along well with everyone he meets.
Andre, like any other 22-year-old, wants to learn to drive and get his driver’s license. He has a girlfriend and enjoys going out on dates and taking her to dinner and the movies. He enjoys playing video games on his PlayStation and spends his spare time watching sports, particularly football and basketball. He also loves to shop!
Andre’s goal to get a job was put on hold when the pandemic hit. He handled this with his usual positive outlook and once life started to return to normal, he resumed his job search. Andre enlisted the assistance of Goodwill South Florida and, with their help, he was able to complete the on-line job applications. Goodwill even provided him with in-person and virtual mock interview sessions to prepare him for the interviews ahead.
On June 22, 2021, Andre was hired as a part-time bagger at Publix Supermarkets. He loves his job and has started taking on additional duties, such as pushing carts and cleaning windows. He has become a valued member of the Publix team and is respected and admired by his peers. His supervisor considers him one of the best employees and says Andre is setting an example for others.
Andre has big dreams and has set a goal to become an assistant to a Team Leader. He is also saving money for a much-desired, and much-deserved, vacation to Orlando. We have no doubt that Andre will reach his goals, and any other thing he sets his mind to.
His future is so bright, we need to wear shades!
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