Working at Kroger was a dream of Sara’s even before she began her 2010-2011 Project SEARCH school year at Atrium Medical Center in Middletown. In 2019, as she begins her ninth year of full time employment at the Kroger located in Trenton, she feels a sense of pride at what she has accomplished. Sara’s manager described her as the only employee who “always does her job properly.” In addition to setting a good example, Sara has developed friendships with many of her coworkers. One fellow front-end clerk said, “Sara is so friendly. She always remembers to ask about personal details.”
“This Kroger is better than the other ones,” Sara said of her workplace. She currently bags groceries, delivers bags to customers’ cars, and cleans the registers when things get slow. She would like to learn more about working the register in the future.
While in Project SEARCH, Sara honed many skills including data entry, cleaning, and folding scrubs. She remembered her skills trainer, Mr. Randy, would always tell her, “Try your best. You can do it.” Sara’s current success is proof that Mr. Randy was right.
Sara also enjoys volunteering at the Reds Hall of Fame with her father and serves as an extra helper at her church’s Friendship Class for other people with disabilities. Her advice for current interns is, “Learn about the things that you need to know.”
