I am a hard-working, independent man, so when I found myself without a job, I struggled. I stayed away from church and avoided my home teachers. When my bishop became concerned and visited me, I let him know that there really wasn’t anything he could do for me. My home teachers wouldn’t give up. After a few months, I found myself with only $200 left in my savings account when my faithful home teachers stopped by for a visit. I broke down and let them know that I had been applying for jobs everywhere, but I couldn’t find anything. This is when my bishop stepped in and offered me a referral to participate in the Deseret Industries training program.

I took my work seriously at DI and I worked hard, always on time and according to the schedule. So it came as a surprise to me when I was passed over for a lead position. When I approached my job coach about what I might do differently, he let me know that he felt I wasn’t ready and that I needed to work on a few more things. I took this to heart, and things, including my attitude, began to change. I did get the lead position the next time. I learned from this experience that I should never judge others, because we may not know where they came from or what they are going through.

While working at DI, I continued to apply for jobs. It was very discouraging at times, because nothing was working out. It was at this point that we decided I would benefit from some additional training that DI was willing to pay for. I took some computer classes and also took a course to become a certified nurse’s assistant. I felt that becoming a CNA was a bit of a stretch for me and that I might not like it, but I did well in the class. Surprisingly, I am now attending college and will be applying for the nursing program. I have the ultimate goal to have a job in hospital administration.

I then married my co-worker who has become my very best adviser as I move forward in life.  So yes, there is a happily ever after.