Latrisha Fisher

Job Source

With a perpetual smile and a laugh that can easily win over a room, Latrisha “Trisha” Fisher is proof that, with a positive attitude and a drive to succeed, any obstacle can be overcome. As a single mother of a toddler with another child on the way, Trisha was having a difficult time finding full-time employment that would utilize her skills and allow her to remain an involved and dedicated mother.

Trisha’s compassion for her community drew her to the medical field, where she successfully completed a medical assistant program at Southern Careers Institute. However, in order to take care of her child, she was working a job that didn’t utilize her skills and had her working nights and taking care of her child during the day. Also, she had to rely on public transportation and friends to drive her around town, which limited her employment opportunities.

“I wanted another job and I didn’t know how to go about (getting one),” said Trisha. “Especially with working nights and having to take care of my daughter during the day, I was very overwhelmed.”

In an effort to locate employment that would be a better fit to her skills and schedule, she quit her job and was unemployed for about six months. Finally, in 2006, she took her cousin’s advice and came to Goodwill’s Job Source Program. She took a short break to have her second child, but she came back to Goodwill to work with her Goodwill Placement Specialist, Marisa Rodriguez, on fine-tuning her application skills, resume building, computer and interview training, basic needs assistance, and help obtaining her driver’s license.

“The first time I met Latrisha, she smiled the entire time,” said Marisa. “She came in willing to do anything that she knew would enhance her skills and help her improve her search.”

Trisha’s determination led to a full-time, permanent position as a heath specialist at a short-term psychiatric facility. She has been successfully employed for a year assisting consumers with admissions, scheduling doctor appointments and assisting with the facilitation of support groups. She hopes to one day pursue higher education to become a registered nurse with her current employer.

“I really like my job, and I enjoy the work environment—everyone gets along, it’s unreal,” said Trisha. “Goodwill is a great agency to get involved with—everything that you do for the community, I just wanted to thank you.”

Watch video about Latrisha.

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