Career Horizons Helps Participants Reach Their Goals

Nancy Rodallega’s Story

Meet Nancy Rodallegas, a 24-year-old aspiring cosmetic scientist. She was connected to Just in Time for Foster Youth last September and within a short period, has made great strides in her personal development. 

Recently, Nancy graduated from UCSD with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Her goal is to work in cosmetics and is currently taking prerequisites at Mesa College that will enable her to enroll in a master’s program. Since joining JIT, Nancy has participated in several of our services, including Career Horizons. Esmeralda Munoz, Career Horizons Coordinator, enjoys having her in her cohort and describes Nancy as “impressive, confident, and very self-aware.”  

As part of Career Horizons, Nancy was paired with volunteer coach Jessica Friesen. For Nancy, having someone to turn to “is something new to me; I have never had anyone I could go to for advice. Jessica has been supportive in guiding me through my professional journey.”  

A recent Career Horizons workshop focused on individual strengths. Each participant took the Gallup Top 5 CliftonStrengths assessment. Nancy was surprised to see “individualization” appear as one of her top five strengths (Gallup defines individualization as having the ability to see talents in others). She also shared she is grateful that Just in Time has helped her open up. “I tend to be really shy and avoid new experiences or meeting new people. I am usually hyper-focused and go straight to school and then go straight home. JIT has helped me come out of my shell and overcome my fear of meeting new people.” Being a part of Career Horizons has exposed Nancy to new and exciting experiences, like going to an escape room for the first time. Nancy is looking forward to more Career Horizon workshops and creating a deeper connection with her coach and the JIT community.