Meet Parker, employed: Optimism and positivity

Parker Hawthorne has been employed in his first job for nearly two years, which is an accomplishment that deserves acknowledgement and celebration! For a lot of young adults who experienced the difficulties of a pandemic that was disruptive to not just the world around them but their own personal worlds, five years later is proving to be a high point for Parker.

After he graduated from high school in 2020, Parker started the Beaverton Community Transition Program virtually. Volunteer work experience was not an option yet, so other work-readiness skills were developed. During this time, Parker recognized the drive to become a responsible community member, and as soon as he could be in the community volunteering, he spent time in school cafeterias assisting the nutrition staff with tasks that contributed to a smooth lunch service to students and helped him sharpen his soft skills such as dependability and positivity.

Throughout the program, he knew he wanted to take these skills to the next level and find his first paid position. He worked with an employment specialist to complete applications and prepare for interviews. He interviewed with a food service business and was hired on the spot as a dishwasher. While learning the tasks and the routine, Parker left a strong impression as someone who knows that all these skills are leading to his independence. He shows up on time and he comes to work prepared. He knows how to ask the right questions when he doesn’t know the answer, how to take feedback and apply it, how to be an important part of a team, and how to be responsible for himself. He is highly regarded by his coworkers and receives excellent performance reviews.

He is now looking at ways to expand his community even further by creating livestream gaming content in a way that spreads optimism and positivity.

Parker is taking the fundamental traits he has always had and is growing them both during work hours and beyond. Congratulations, Parker – you should be very proud of yourself! I know we all are!

For more information on our employment services or to join our team, please contact Glenn Bishop: gbishop@dirksecc.com