Alicia started her journey with AbilityFirst in 2002 in the afterschool program at the Lawrence L. Frank Center in Pasadena and in 2012 she started to work in the AbilityFirst Work center until she transitioned to the PossAbility program in 2019. For more than 20 years it has been a joy to watch Alicia grow and acquire so many valuable skills, build confidence in her abilities and of course, make friends.
When Alicia first joined PossAbility Pasadena she was a little quiet and reserved and often kept to herself but as she got to know the community coaches and interact with her peers, she gradually emerged from her shell and developed more confidence and created friendships. This inspired Alicia to apply for the Project SEARCH internship program at the City of Hope. Unfortunately, she wasn’t selected to intern and the setback was initially a disappointment, but a silver lining emerged when the opportunity became available for her to participate in a Paid Internship Program with Supported Employment at the AbilityFirst main office, front desk. With this role, Alicia has gained invaluable front desk training experience such as greeting guests, answering the phones, assisting with the mail and shipments. Alicia shares, “I love greeting my friends when I open the door for them. I’m gaining experience and learning new tasks every day.” Go Alicia!!