Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) help students with disabilities ages 14–22 explore careers, build job skills, and prepare for life after high school.
Success Stories – Supported Employment
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Supported Employment Helps Tymon Shine at the Westwood Club
For the past year and a half, Tymon has worked as a dishwasher at the Westwood Club. He takes pride in his space, keeps things running smoothly, and shows up each day ready to do his job well. His path started with a simple opportunity—and SOAR365’s Supported Employment program.
Cheney Makes the Most of Opportunity With Walgreens
Through Supported Employment and the Walgreens Retail Employees with Disabilities Initiative (REDI), Cheney found the perfect fit and a team that believes in him.
More Than a Job – Mark Trains Toward His Dreams
When you walk into the pool area at the Shady Grove YMCA, you might see Mark hard at work. He cleans the windows, checks the pool’s chemical levels, and makes sure the floor is safe and dry. But Mark is doing more than just his job – he’s also chasing a dream.
Building Futures With Employment Services, One Pizza at a Time
We love when learning can be fun…and delicious! SOAR365 Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) and Supported Employment participants recently enjoyed a special pizza-making class, thanks to our friends at Performance Foodservice (PFS). But this visit was more than a tasty lunch. It was a hands-on experience designed to build real-world skills and confidence for future jobs.
NDEAM 2025 Shines a Spotlight on Disability Employment at SOAR365
Each year, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is a chance to recognize the talents and contributions of people with disabilities in the workplace. It’s also a time to learn how inclusive employment benefits everyone — employees, employers, and entire communities. At SOAR365, we’re proud to shine a spotlight on hardworking, creative, motivated workers who are making a difference every day.
Timothy Finds Purpose and Community at RVA Goats and Honey
For Timothy Glasgow, working at RVA Goats and Honey quickly proved to be an experience that provides independence, confidence and a sense of community. With the help of SOAR365’s Supported Employment program, he has found a role that aligns his love for animals and hands-on work, even if it requires him to get his hands dirty from time to time.
Turning Over a New Leaf: Michael’s Path to Meaningful Work
A day in the life of a SOAR365 Supported Employment participant.
From Music to Marketing: How Pia Discovered Her Creative Career Path Through SOAR365
“Pia produces her own music. She writes all of the lyrics. It’s astounding!” says her SOAR365 employment specialist (or “job coach”) Lizzie Graham. Job coaches like Lizzie know our participants often have undiscovered talents or interests. Sometimes these skills can be overlooked due to their disability.
How SOAR365 Helped David Find Confidence, Community — and a Career
“My college degree was nothing compared to this,” says David, proudly. He’s talking about winning SOAR365’s “Supported Employment Participant of the Year” award — a moment that made him feel proud, seen, and a little emotional. The award wasn’t just a surprise. It was proof of how far he’s come, thanks to his hard work, his family’s support, and help from SOAR365’s Employment Services team.
