Smiles of Goodwill - Meet Samuel

Meet Samuel!👋🎓

As a military child, Samuel experienced hardships like moving often and having to learn a different language while he and his family lived in Korea. However, he attributes these life lessons with preparing him for hurdles that would soon come his way. Because he had seen both parents become dependent on medication due to chronic illnesses, he saw the importance that medicine can have on the body. This led to his interest in pharmacology and why he “wanted to understand how medicine helps the body and promote healing — both for my parents and for others facing similar challenges.”

Although he was already juggling his studies at UTSA and working, he kept high standards for himself. He started actively looking for a position in retail pharmacies but soon learned that each role required a pharmacy technician license to move forward. By vocalizing his interests, he was informed by colleagues to look into Goodwill Academy & Career Services. Not only has Samuel completed his course, he was chosen to be the Student Speaker during the Academy’s Spring graduation.

“I was extremely fortunate to come across the Goodwill program, once I started, I realized I was pursuing something I truly wanted to do. This made it easier to stay focused, study, and absorb what I was learning,” Samuel said.

Congrats Samuel!👏

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Looking for work or training opportunities? Goodwill’s Career Services are free and open to everyone. Click here to learn more. And when you donate or shop at Goodwill, you’re helping change lives through the power of work.

By: Bela Gonzalez, Digital Communication Specialist

igonzalez@goodwillsa.org.