Recently, the Hudson Reporter published an article about a past WOS-consultant, Juan Rodriguez, a millennial who defied the odds that were stacked against him. After trying his hand at college and joining the military, Rodriguez knew he wanted more from life, so he did something different and applied for a role through Workforce Opportunity Services and received invaluable job training as part of the program.
This article shares Rodriguez’s story and offers a role model for many millennials in similar situations. Below is an excerpt:
Rodriguez is part of the millennial generation, which is gripped by rising costs of living, less opportunity for financial security, and the economic anxieties that result. These young people are often doing unskilled work in low-paying jobs.
“I didn’t know where I was heading, I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” said Rodriguez, who tried his hand at math and marketing, but could not find a sense of “belonging.” He was the only member of his family to attend college and had no mentors to advise him. He felt pressured to go to college and took out loans to pay for it. He soon realized that college may not be his ideal route; he had and a cousin the army, so he enlisted in the Marine Corps. “Hopefully, the military could straighten you out to do things the right way,” he said. He tried to continue his education while in the Marines, but going through training required him to miss finals, which landed him on academic probation.
Read the full article here.