Breaking Barriers and Building Dreams: Meet Jesse

From fast food to Medical Assistant, Jesse is turning hard work into hope for himself and his family.

At 25 years old, Jesse has already worn many hats. He’s worked as a team lead at McDonald’s, server at Pluckers, substitute teacher, and front-end supervisor at Walmart. But none of those titles compare to the one he just earned, his medical assistant certification from the Goodwill San Antonio Academy.

For Jesse, this milestone is more than a certificate. It’s the beginning of a new chapter in his life.

After graduating from South San High School, he enrolled at San Antonio College with dreams of moving into the medical field. However, financial challenges forced him to drop out. For the next few years, he hustled working job, after job, to help support his family.

As the second oldest of four siblings, he recalled his mother’s struggles, and how she always encouraged her children to dream big.

“My mom is our biggest motivator,” said Jesse. “She tells us to put God first and never give up. And I wanted to be an example for my sisters. To show them that even if you come from struggle there’s light at the end of the tunnel for us.”

It was a friend who first told Jesse about the Medical Assistant program at Goodwill Academy. “She said it was only eight months. That really stuck with me,” he said. “I knew it was a good opportunity for my future."

So, Jesse enrolled in the program. Soon he was working late-night shifts and catching the bus at 5:30 a.m. to make it to class.

“It was really hard, and there were times I didn’t think I could keep going,” said Jesse. “My mom also got sick with pneumonia and almost died, but I stuck to it and didn’t give up.”

After completing his externship, Jesse landed a full-time job with the support of the Goodwill Career Services Center. Today he works at UT Health and is looking to continue his education and grow in the medical field.

For Jesse, his family couldn’t be prouder. His journey at Goodwill has opened up new doors not just for himself, but for his siblings. His youngest sister has enrolled in community college, and another is exploring the Navy.

“I wanted to be a good example for my sisters, and show them that if I can do it, they can too,” said Jesse.

By, Yvonne Byrd, ybyrd@goodwillsa.org.