Youth Employment Success Stories! (YESS!)

The Youth Employment Success Stories (YESS!) series is an initiative of the Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment (LPTE), a community collaboration among schools, service providers, youth, and families in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The LPTE works to improve local programs and services that support youth with disabilities to find and keep jobs, graduate from postsecondary education programs, and live and participate fully in their communities.

The YESS! series aims to raise community expectations for employment by helping youth with disabilities, their families, and potential employers envision what is possible. Youth with disabilities want jobs and careers as much as their peers do. Storytelling can encourage youth to set employment goals. Youth, family members, and employment specialists can learn about helpful resources and strategies for finding jobs that match their strengths and interests. Employers can learn how youth with disabilities bring valuable contributions to their workplaces.

  • Emely: Helping Customers and Shelving Products at Sephora

    Emely has been working at Sephora for the last five years. She works there part time every Wednesday. When new shipments of supplies come in to the store, she unpacks them and puts the different products on their assigned shelves.

    Read story →

  • Leandra: From Project Search to Burger King

    Leandra is 23 years old and describes herself as relaxed and nice. When she isn’t at work, she attends Opportunity Works and also cooks and cleans at home. She enjoys sleeping, dancing, and listening to her favorite music.

    Read story →

  • Andy’s Story: Delivering the Mail with Consistency & Care

    Andrew Cummings is 33 and enjoys being athletic outdoors. His athletic experience includes water-skiing, doing half-Ironman and Olympic triathlons, and hiking all forty-eight 4,000-foot White Mountains in New Hampshire at least twice.

    Read story →

  • Joe’s Story: Thriving in a Busy Restaurant Environment

    Joe is a 30-year-old man from Central Massachusetts. He lives in his own home and has a close relationship with his parents and siblings. Outside of work, he has a very active life and enjoys working out, Special Olympics skiing and bowling, running 5ks, playing Jumbo hockey, socializing with friends and family, and going to movies.

    Read story →

  • Kevin’s Story: Living out his Passion for Acting

    Kevin Mange is 31 years old and lives in North Andover, Massachusetts. He describes himself as funny and friendly. Some of his favorite things include making videos, acting, and swimming competitively with Special Olympics.

    Read story →