"I wanted to prove to myself that I could pick up where I left off…"
Josh K. is a meticulous guy whose knowledge, intelligence, and expertise make him a passionate conversationalist. You can tell he is someone whose hard work and skill have given him confidence and contentment. All of these qualities suit him well at his job producing solar cells for Panasonic. He really enjoys this position and the opportunity it provides for advancement. He is at a point in his life where he can enjoy the success he deserves, yet that success was not always guaranteed; Josh persevered through some difficult times—he didn't find his success—he put in the effort and he earned it!
As a young man, Josh struggled with depression and alcohol abuse. During that time, he drifted from job to job, working, but not feeling fulfilled. Meaning and purpose seemed to elude him at every turn. While he was working for the railroad, he was enrolled in a rehabilitation program. He spent a couple of years recovering at Cornerstone for Recovery, a clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee, before relocating back to Buffalo. This started him on a journey of growth and healing: That one decision he made seven years ago, led to another good decision, and another good decision, and eventually to the great place he is now.
In Buffalo, he spent one year at Cazenovia Recovery Systems, and three years at Transitional Services Inc., for rehab and counseling. These programs referred him to Carmen Torres-Bursie, a vocational rehabilitation counselor at ACCES-VR. Together they began discussing Josh's plans for the future. This gave him an objective, and Carmen encouraged him to reach for it. Structure has become very important to Josh since then. It's one of the main things that has kept him focused over the last seven years. Daily routine and planning benefited his mental health tremendously. "Carmen kept me accountable, she kept me on the path, and that's what I needed," says Josh with purpose. She laid out goals and with every benchmark made, Josh could look back and see his progress. "It made me feel proud." Their plan involved him returning to school and gaining the education he needed before finding his place in the workforce.
He enrolled at ECC and began an Associate degree program in Nanotechnology. At ECC, Josh discovered latent talents and potential: natural aptitude in math and science. "I always thought those subjects were going to be way too hard for me and never even bothered to attempt them before," he says emphatically. He relished this newfound passion. Chemistry and physics became his personal favorites. When asked what changed, he says that after getting his life on track, he was ready to work hard. "I treated school like it was my job. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." He had such a teacher in one of his college professors. "He offered recitation on Friday afternoons and no one came, I was very often the only one there. Being a little older, I could be more dedicated to my work. Every Friday I had one on one sessions with a professor. This helped me excel in science and math."
Upon completing his degree, and beginning his job search in earnest, Carmen handed him off to Andrea Todaro to help complete phase 2 of his plan and find a job. From the start he had some solid ideas of companies that he would like to pursue. Andrea's commitment to job searching appealed to Josh's structure-based sensibility. He made good use of the spreadsheet and Andrea helped him apply to 20 positions on his behalf. They checked in with one another frequently. She helped Josh stay organized. This continued the trend of self-accountability that Josh needed. Andrea was helpful and encouraging. "Andrea was the whole package—complete care—top to bottom." He started securing job prospects but he really wanted to work for Panasonic. He made this happen within a couple of months. At Panasonic, he began on the line as a machine operator.
To do the job, Josh had to be familiar with several large somewhat daunting machines and the complicated processes that make them work. These included chemical vapor deposition and physical vapor deposition. They are crafting individual solar cells, which are then placed in modules that make up solar panels. Josh was soon promoted to Quality Control and applied skills he learned in the Clean Room lab at ECC. Josh liked the solitude of working as a quality control technician, but he had even more potential. From quality control he was promoted to a Team Leader position. This position came with a pay raise and he would be making $24/hr. Josh is very proud of being a leader. "I was in charge of 10-15 people at a time, and I embraced my duties. I was able to coach, mentor, and help them! I could see the difference that I made," says Josh, beaming with excitement. Even though he didn't mind working alone, he discovered he liked leading, teaching and helping even more!
"You can be successful if you commit," asserts Josh. It is something he truly believes and has seen in action. "With the right supports in place, you can move from a place of crisis to one of stability. When you are no longer in crisis, you can start to develop a sense of self-satisfaction. I'm on better footing now, and as I have made progress, I can see habits I have learned solidifying." There are still some things that Josh wants to accomplish; his journey is ongoing. Transportation remains a difficulty, and commuting using public transportation adds hours to his already long shifts. He would like to earn his license back, and eventually have his own vehicle. He would like to buy a house someday too. For now though, he is happy where he is, and grateful for the help that Andrea and Carmen provided in finding that happiness.
— Martin Kilroy, Writer for Innovative Placements