Meet Raymon

When Raymon was little he dreamed of being a motivational speaker. Earlier this year, at the age of 43, he achieved his dream when he spoke at the Texas State Capital to help Goodwill pass legislation providing individuals recently released from incarceration with more educational and career training opportunities. But Raymon had to overcome many obstacles on his path to success.

Raymon was a straight-A student in grade school with an optimistic outlook and a bright future. Before his 10th birthday, his father went to prison and he lost his only sibling when his sister passed away. A once motivated preteen collapsed in on himself and Raymon found himself in prison before he had even finished high school.

While in prison, Raymon was determined to change his life. He earned his GED, took some self-help courses, and began attending church regularly. But even after his release he couldn’t earn enough to support a family – that’s when Raymon came to Goodwill.

With the help of his Career Case Manager, he learned to write a resume, got financial literacy help, contacted a career mentor, and completed his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training to earn his commercial license. Raymon received three job offers after completing his CDL training and today he works for Lauren Concrete making $17.50 per hour! His supervisor Markeith says “He’s trying to do something positive not just for himself but for everybody in the community.”

Raymon has improved his life and strengthened his family. He hopes to help others create their own path to success by mentoring individuals recently released from prison.

Raymon says confidently, “Goodwill has been like a family. I now see the best in me, because Goodwill saw the best in me!”