“I was earning $8.50 an hour,” Jermaine said. “When I learned I had a child on the way, I knew I needed to make a change.”

That’s when Jermaine enrolled at The Excel Center, Goodwill's high school for adults, eventually earning a high school diploma. Upon graduation, he accepted a second job at a Goodwill retail store. He also received a Pharmacy Technician Certification, and through his work with TalentSource™, Goodwill’s job placement team, accepted a higher-wage position at Express Scripts.

“I had help with my resume and received tips on how to prepare for an interview,” Jermaine said. “I interviewed with five companies and was offered all five positions.”

Jermaine continued to take classes at Lincoln Tech that were funded, in part, with a scholarship from Goodwill. In 2016, he earned an associate’s degree in business management along with a Collision Repair Certification. He is now employed at Andy Mohr as an Auto Body Technician, doing work that he genuinely enjoys.

“I’m an artist, and my role at Andy Mohr enables me to apply that creativity to my professional career,” Jermaine said.