Age: 19
Position: Kids and Baby Lead
Employer: Old Navy
Employed: June 2021
The year after he graduated high school, Oscar was working hard to find a job. He was in an After School Matters program called ASM Launch, where mentors help graduates find post secondary opportunities. He applied for countless jobs during the winter of 2020-2021, but didn’t hear back from a single employer.
Sometime during this search, his mentor found out about Youth Job Center’s internship with Old Navy, and shared it with Oscar. Oscar read about This Way ONward, and it sounded like a great fit. He applied that spring, attended trainings and interview prep, and on June 13th, 2021, he began as an intern at Old Navy Riverpoint!
Not only did Oscar land the internship with Old Navy, he flourished there. He loved working at the cash register and talking with customers. “Sometimes you have a bad day and you have a customer who’ll brighten your day,” he says - something you don’t often hear from someone working in retail. He also loved his Old Navy teammates, and being able to support each other: “I like having the team around me. If I ever have a question or am feeling down, I can always go to them.” Last but not least, Oscar loved growth. When asked why he loves his store leaders so much, he said that he can always go to them when he has a rough day, and because he can always get feedback on how to improve.
Whatever good work Oscar was doing on the sales floor or at the cash register, he knew he could always do even better, and it was this drive for growth that led him to be promoted as a lead while still an intern - something that has never happened in the internship before. Oscar is flourishing in this new role, and has been asked to stay on as a permanent, part-time employee. Needless to say, both he and the store are happy. “Now that I’m a lead, the rest of the team sees me as a role model, and they know they can come to me if they ever need help with anything.” Oscar gets to pass along the help and support he received as a new intern. Although he’s busy balancing work and school as he takes classes at Harold Washington, he says “I don’t see myself leaving anytime soon. I love this job, and I’m wanted here."
