Christianna Faith, or simply “Faith” as she prefers to be called, was a senior at Douglas High School when she learned about Vocational Rehabilitation services through VR outreach programs offered at her high school. Upon hearing about the program, she decided to apply in the Fall of 2021, while still in school in order to get a head start on the challenges of the working world.
Her learning disability had made high school something of a challenge for Faith, so she and her Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Jake Merrill, decided together that her greatest possibility for immediate success would be to enroll in the Inclusion Academy program at Starbucks’ Roasting Facility in Minden, Nevada. The Starbucks Inclusion Academy is a unique on-the-job training program funded by VR which is designed to provide extended opportunities for learning the ins and outs of work/life at Starbucks as well as Soft-Skills training that is so in demand in the competitive-integrated working world. In addition, Faith was able to take advantage of a number of supportive services through Vocational Rehabilitation such as an allowance for work boots and clothing and for fuel assistance.
Faith blossomed as an employee at Starbucks, and upon completing the Inclusion Academy, hit the ground running. Her VR case was successfully closed shortly after her completion of the Inclusion Academy program in the summer of 2022, but Faith didn’t stop there. According to Kathy Loomis, Distribution Supervisor with Starbucks and Inclusion Academy Liaison, Faith has, in her time with Starbucks, been promoted and is now operating her own forklift and is a highly valued part of the Starbucks team!
Faith’s story is just one of the many great success stories that come from the Starbucks Inclusion Academy and their dedication to fair and inclusive hiring within our community! These sorts of partnerships, such as this one between Starbucks and Vocational Rehabilitation make a real difference in the lives of our clients.
