PERSPECTIVES: A Sense of Pride

Screen Shot 2014-10-21 at 1.36.47 PMWhen I think about my employment, it gives me a great sense of pride about myself and who I am. I started working at Pilgrim's Pride in May of this year where I started as a shipping loader. My supervisors tell me that I am a hard worker and that I am dependable. They can always count on me to work overtime to keep our department caught up.

Getting this job has given me financial security and a sense of confidence. But it is also because my supervisors helped me understand what it takes to be a good worker. Learning how to report, when to take leave, filling out forms at the office or understanding when procedures change at the office are all a part of being a part of a company. And, my supervisors explained these changes to me.

I am a person with a mild intellectual disability, and Project SEARCH was able to give me work experience for my resume. I was hired halfway through my internship to work at Northeast Georgia Medical Center as a recycle tech because of my great work ethic. While in that internship, I received forklift training through Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation Industries of Northeast Georgia, so I was eventually able to get a job with more hours at Pilgrim's Pride.

Now, I work 40 hours plus overtime at Pilgrim's Pride as a shipping loader, operating a pallet jack. I pick up pallets with boxes of chicken and carry them with the pallet jack to the trucks for shipping. I also help in translation from Spanish to English for anyone on my team who needs it. I have had so many positive experiences since I left high school. I gained confidence in myself and I am not shy. I can advocate for myself and I have learned the value of working on a team. These positive work experiences make me look forward to work every day, and knowing that I can provide for my family has created a great sense of pride in me.

People with disabilities have to make money too. We have to provide for our families too. We are hard workers and most important, we love to work. We are dependable because we want to work.
by Bricio Marban

BRICIO MARBAN is 23 years old and resides in Gainesville, GA. He works as a shipping loader at Pilgrim's Pride, a poultry plant in Gainesville, GA.

Tags: Making a Difference, Perspectives