“Hi, my name is Brandi Gatter. I was diagnosed with Schizophreniform disorder and Autism in 2021. At first getting a job was hard because I was shy and afraid to put myself out there. Then Tracy, my Employment Specialist, and I worked on interview skills before I went to job interviews. With the skills we practiced I was getting better at landing job interviews. I landed my first job at Casey’s starting in the kitchen and quickly advancing to cashier including closing the store. I feel that I was taking on too much and had a mental relapse. I was not completely recovered when I got a part time job working as a dishwasher in the school cafeteria, so I had another setback with my mental health. It took some time for me to improve my mental stability, however Tracy and I continued to meet to discuss my mental health and explore my readiness to move forward with getting a job. Once I felt that I was ready (mentally) to pursue finding another job, Rhonda my DRS coordinator suggested Goodwill. Tracy and I filled out the online application and I had a job interview within a week. Tracy set up the interview with Goodwill and provided support during the interview. I was hired on the spot. Nowadays I am a cashier in training. I still love scanning the books for the Book Nook of Geneseo Goodwill and put them on the sales floor. When I run out of books, I ask what else I can do, and they have me working on the “soft goods” like sorting clothes, putting them on the clothes rack and tagging them. I also run racks of clothes to the sales floor.
Goodwill is my dream job, and I am glad that I have it. I don’t plan on losing this job, I plan to keep this job and as my responsibility to grow at Goodwill, I will keep my mental health in check.”
In checking in with Brandi’s manager Cara she shares: “Brandi is doing wonderful on the register. She’s made no mistakes and is learning all the details of handling the sales floor. Brandi puts her heart into everything she does. She’s eager to learn, follows directions as given and will do anything she can to help out anyone with anything she can. She takes the initiative to complete tasks when she sees they need to be done. Her ability to stay focused continually improves. I’ve watched her grow in character, she interacts more with everyone and doesn’t shy away from conversation. She loves her Job and that alone speaks volumes.”
