Taylor: A Story of New Beginnings

Meet Taylor. At just three months old, her mother died in a car crash, leaving her grandmother to raise her. Now, at 30, she often finds herself wondering what her mother would think if she could see her today. 

“My mom never got to see who I’d become,” said Taylor, who recently completed the Medical Assistant Program at Goodwill San Antonio’s Academy. “But I know she’d be proud. And I know Goodwill helped me get here.” 

Before finding Goodwill, life wasn’t easy for Taylor. After relocating from Oregon to San Antonio, she struggled to make ends meet while caring for her elderly grandmother and her sister, who has special needs. 

While working part-time at SeaWorld, the weight of grief and mental health challenges made everything feel impossible. It wasn’t until she began seeing a therapist that her life started to shift. During one of their sessions, her therapist mentioned Goodwill San Antonio’s Academy, a workforce training program that helps people find purpose and new beginnings. 

“I had never even heard of Goodwill’s programs before,” Taylor said. “When I looked into it, I loved everything about it. It felt like a fresh start.” 

Taylor enrolled and quickly found herself surrounded by encouragement and support. After completing the class portion of the program, she began an externship at University Hospital’s transplant unit- and not long after, was offered a full-time position. Today, she cares for kidney transplant patients with empathy, offering the kind of understanding that can only come from someone who knows what it means to begin again. 

“Taking care of my grandmother and my sister taught me what good patient care looks like,” she said. “It’s what made me want to help people.” 

With just days until Goodwill’s upcoming graduation ceremony, Taylor picked up her cap and gown and couldn’t help but notice it was the same shade of blue her mother wore at her own high school graduation. The moment brought an unexpected wave of emotion. 

“It was like I was sharing that moment with her,” she said. “Even though she’s not here, I feel like she’s watching me.”

By, Yvonne Byrd, Multimedia Design Manager

Taylor’s story is just one of many made possible through Goodwill San Antonio’s workforce programs.
To learn how you can begin your own journey, or support others in theirs, https://www.goodwillsa.org/career-training/.