ALLANA

AGE: 17
POSITION: Brand Associate
EMPLOYER: Old Navy

Allana is a teenager from the south side of Chicago who enjoys playing softball, flag football, and violin. Last year, she decided she wanted to add “working a job” to that list of activities, but she wasn’t sure how to get started. When YJC sent information about our This Way ONWard program to Allana’s high school, it seemed like fate.

Allana signed up to become a client at YJC, where she went through Workforce Readiness Training, got paired with one-on-one career coach Hester, and entered YJC’s This Way ONWard Old Navy partnership program. After completing her training, Allana was placed in a temporary position at a local Old Navy store, where she got her first taste of the working world and benefited from the mentorship of a “Big Sib”, a more experienced employee who provided hands-on guidance in navigating her new job.

Well prepared thanks to her training, support, and positive attitude, Allana was quickly hired on as a permanent member of the staff after her temporary position drew to a close. As she works, she continues to enjoy support from YJC. “Hester always checks in to make sure I’m doing good at Old Navy,” Allana says. “If I ever have any questions about anything, I could ask her. This is very beneficial to me.”

She advises other young people not to stress about getting started and says, “I would tell others that this program is very useful and that they should most definitely do it.”

Congratulations, Allana! We’re so proud of your growth and look forward to continuing to support you as you move forward on your professional journey.