I had just returned from a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spending two years working hard and serving others. While on my mission I learned and developed many new skills and a strong work ethic. Although I had developed and learned so much from my mission, I was not sure how I was to convert the mission experience into real life.  When I returned home, I was somewhat lost and unsure. I was having difficulty transitioning back to school and moving forward with my life. I had no money and I knew little about how to find a job.

I had a friend who worked at Deseret Industries, so I entered the program. I joined because I wanted money for college, but soon I learned that the training program had so much more to offer me than just money.

The DI used methods that I had found to be tremendously successful in the mission field, like setting goals and working with others to accomplish them. I found that when I set goals but didn't report or keep track of them, my success decreased drastically. I needed to be held accountable. This was a skill that I learned at DI which worked really well for me.

One of the greatest skills I learned was how to effectively search for a job. I have been able to find jobs in the past, but I can only attribute that to luck. I now have a part-time job, which is a direct result of planning ahead and the work I have done with my job coach.

At the close of my time at Deseret Industries, I am working on my degree in mechanical engineering. The DI has helped me a lot. I have momentum now as I move forward, which I plan on maintaining through many days ahead.