Benjamin Golightly never thought he'd be interested in phlebotomy. "I just didn't have much interest in sticking needles in somebody's arm. I was worried about hurting someone," he says. Now though, becoming a phlebotomist is exactly what Benjamin is working toward.

Benjamin came to work at Deseret Industries after a back injury prevented him from returning to his old job delivering freight, which required a lot of lifting and heavy labor. Benjamin didn't know what else he could do for work, but his journey to phlebotomy started when he was assigned cashier duties at DI.

"Once I got up to the registers, I realized that I really liked working with people. . . . It was really enjoyable, working with customers, greeting them, smiling, helping them with their problems. . . . It helped me realize that I'd much rather work with people."

However, he still wasn't quite sure of his career goals. Soon after, Benjamin's injury required him to have some blood drawn. The phlebotomist drawing his blood remembered him from a year before, which helped him feel more comfortable. That experience really stuck with Benjamin, and he decided phlebotomy was the goal for him.

"I realized that it wasn't about hurting someone, it was about putting people at ease and making them feel better about the situation."

With the help of DI, Benjamin has just finished up some phlebotomy and medical courses, and he's working on job applications in a field that interests him.

"I never knew that someone like me, who had challenges with not knowing where they belong anymore, could be a good fit for DI," says Benjamin. "But it has been for me."