I recently came to the United States from my home in the Philippines. My family runs an adult care home here. I wanted to help, so I began taking classes to be a certified nursing assistant (CNA). However, I’d never had a job before and was very self-conscious about my English. After I counseled with my bishop, he gave me a recommendation to join the training program at Deseret Industries (DI) as soon as my classes were done. At DI, I could receive the help I needed to get a good start in my new career.

When I first started at DI, many things were very hard for me, particularly speaking with customers. Using the phone in English was stressful. Very early in my training, I was assigned to be a cashier. When the assistant store manager noticed I was having a hard time, he encouraged me to speak up, to have more confidence in myself. My job assignments forced me to interact with customers and helped me overcome the awkwardness I felt. Often as a potential lead associate, I would need to answer the phone to answer questions from the cashiers. Now I feel much more comfortable speaking in English on the phone.

Working at DI helped me in many ways to become a better person, not just with English or job skills. For example, when I worked in the small-as-is department, there was a constant need to restock and straighten the merchandise on the shelves. The frames, books, and office supply shelves can get especially messy. After organizing, cleaning, and colorizing the merchandise all day, I found myself doing the same at home. Before, I was kind of a messy person, but my father is very happy with me now that I understand the benefits of a clean and organized space!

I am very grateful for all that I have achieved while working at DI. One of the first things that DI helped me with was paying for the state CNA exam. Having my license allows me to share more responsibilities for our family business. One day I would like to work toward becoming a registered nurse. Because of the many things I have learned at DI, I have the confidence that I can achieve my goals.