StartFresh Success – Whitney Rice
May 3, 2021Whitney graduated from the StartFresh program in March. You may have seen her ‘associate spotlight’ posted last year about her growth with Goodwill, now learn more about her professional journey!
How did you hear about the position you have with Goodwill?
My boyfriend (now husband) used to work for Goodwill a long time ago. My job at the time provided little growth and challenge. I had expressed to him that I would love to find somewhere to grow and most importantly give me a sense of purpose. He almost immediately recommended Goodwill. I put in an application the very next day!
When did you first hear about Start Fresh?
I had the honor of being a part of a group that helped with the creation and initiation of GOODWalk through Begin@Home. During my time spent in meetings with that group, there was some discussion of the StartFresh program. StartFresh builds off on the vision of Begin@Home. I knew it was coming, I just wasn’t sure what it would look like exactly.
Did your impression of StartFresh change over time?
I’ve been excited about it from the start. Once I took the courses it only validated that excitement even more. I am all for associate development. I love that we are investing in our associates here at Goodwill!
What is the most important thing you learned during Start Fresh?
I think identifying my “why” was really the core of it all for me. I quickly realized that to be motivated and enjoy what I do I needed to identify that “why”. It was really hard for me to do at first. I had to ask myself a lot of questions. Once I did identify my “why” it was easy for me to figure out what goals I wanted/needed to set.
What are you most excited about for your career journey with Goodwill?
I’m excited to continue to learn and grow with this organization that I love so much.
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Whitney’s 2020 Associate Profile –
Whitney has been Goodwill for almost eight years and when she joined the organization it was her first experience in retail. Whitney has moved between locations and job roles extensively during her career with Goodwill, learning new skills and developing her knowledge each time.
After spending several years as a retail trainer, Whitney returned to the stores as retail assistant manager before being promoted to her current role as an operations manager. Whitney attributes her success and promotions to the visibility she gained by building relationships across our organization and continuing to take advantage of learning opportunities.
“While working for Goodwill I have learned that everyone’s role within an organization makes a difference and is important for the succession of our mission. The most impactful thing I’ve learned at Goodwill is that everyone deserves an opportunity to be successful.
I have a sister who is developmentally disabled. I remember growing up, walking out the door to work, school, hang out with friends, etc. and looking back at her and asking myself questions such as – ‘Will she ever have a job? Will she ever get to graduate? Will she ever have a life beyond waking up every day to watch TV? Because she deserves that just as much as me or any other person in this world.’ So to come to Goodwill and learn about the opportunities that they were offering for individuals like my sister really touched a soft spot in my heart,” said Whitney on her experience working for Goodwill.
“What I enjoy most about working for Goodwill is that my job has a purpose and impacts individuals within our community. It is an amazing feeling to know that each day when you come into work you’re helping someone else become a successful individual.”
