Every weekday Kate Elg leaves her home in Spokane Valley to travel a long way by bus to her job in Medical Lake, west of Spokane. Kate says the commute is well worth it because of the training, encouragement and opportunity she has been offered by her supervisor and coworkers at Lakeland Village, a residential facility administered by the State of Washington.

Kate began her journey through the Department of Services for the Blind. She said she knew she wanted to do clerical work in a nice office environment. With the guidance of Goodwill staff, she completed a vocational evaluation at the switchboard in Goodwill’s corporate headquarters. Such evaluations help both the participant and staff determine what kind of job match will most likely lead to success for the employer as well as the worker.

After receiving on-the-job training at Lakeland Village, Kate performs data entry and filing in the offices there. Asked what she likes best about her position, she replies without hesitation, “my supervisor, Sandi Policani, and the other people there.” Sandi has commented that Kate’s hard work is matched by her enthusiasm. Once given an opportunity and the tools she needed, Kate’s determination led to her being named Goodwill’s Graduate of the Year for 2001.