Naeli

Position: Bilingual Customer Service Representative
Employer: Stericycle
Employed since: December 2016

Naeli has worked with YJC on and off for a number of years. She returned to us most recently in May 2016 looking for career opportunities. Having held a variety of retail and office customer service positions, Naeli was looking for a career path, not just another entry-level job. Naeli enrolled in the WIOA program with her sights set on going to school for dental assisting. In the meantime, however, she needed a job to support herself and her daughter.

YJC immediately connected Naeli with paid work experience at employer partner TJMaxx, which allowed Naeli to earn money while she worked with the YJC team to determine next steps. After that opportunity ended, Naeli applied to and was hired by Gather, a playspace in Evanston that had reached out to YJC looking for applicants. Naeli loved her time at Gather and enjoyed getting to know the owner and its customers, but she ultimately needed a position with more hours. With a heavy heart, she resigned from Gather and accepted a position with Stericycle, where she works as a bilingual customer service representative in their healthcare-focused call center.

At Stericycle, Naeli is working full time, receives benefits, and finally connected her job to her longer-term healthcare goals. In February, Naeli began school for dental assisting. Juggling school and work has produced new challenges for Naeli, and she must now balance work, attend classes, and complete school assignments while making sure to set aside quality time with her daughter. Naeli is still working with the WIOA program, but is now also enrolled in YJC's Lasting Impact retention program, which will help Naeli balance her responsibilities. Based on what she's shown us at YJC over the past year, we have no doubt that with the proper support Naeli will maintain her current employment and finish her dental assistant certification. Keep up the good work, Naeli!