When Sonia Cruz Socarras came to Goodwill, she had never held a job. She had arrived in the United States from Cuba carrying more hope than possessions. She had not finished high school, and she still faced a language barrier.
Goodwill hired her anyway.
It was her first job in the United States, and she has never taken it for granted. On her first day, Sonia promised herself she would always give 100 percent to the organization that opened the door for her. Three years later, she is still a Pricer at the Gatlin store in Port St. Lucie, and she has never missed a day of work.
That job carries a lot. Sonia is the main provider for her household, and her paycheck also lets her send support to relatives in Cuba. A first job became the way she takes care of family in two countries.
She kept growing, too. Little by little, she learned the language and how to navigate a new place. She went back to something she had not been able to finish when she was younger and earned her high school diploma. To her, it was not a milestone that came late. It was a promise to herself.
Then she started college.
Working forty hours a week while going to school only works if the job allows it. For Sonia, it does. She is especially grateful for the flexibility of her schedule at Goodwill, which lets her keep working and keep studying without having to give up either one. Some days that means opening a textbook after a full shift. She does it anyway.
Sonia credits much of what she has achieved to the chance Goodwill gave her, and to the people who believed in her when she had no work experience to show. That is what a first job can be. It is a paycheck, but it is also someone willing to bet on you, and a place to prove them right.
She has been proving it every day for three years.
Five years ago, Sonia arrived without English and without a diploma. Today she is a high school graduate, a college student, a full-time team member and the person her family counts on in two countries. Her story is far from over.
Every donation and purchase helps create opportunities like Sonia’s.
