Monday, April 10, 2017

My Story, My Dreams

In addition to being an advocate for The Arc San Francisco, Gladys is an ambassador for Best Buddies, a social and recreation nonprofit for individuals with developmental disabilities. Best Buddies’ creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development through friendship, coaching, and mentoring programs.

At a recent Best Buddies event, Gladys was able to share her story with peers and an audience of Best Buddies friends and family. Below is a transcript of the speech she gave. Congratulations on your successful ambassadorship, Gladys!
Hi, thank you for coming.

My name is Gladys Rodriguez. I was born and raised in San Francisco. I’ve been a best buddies ambassador for quite a while. I’m 32 years old. This speech is about my life.

I was born with spina bifida. A nurse told me and my mom when I was 8 years old that I wouldn’t make it to 15. But look at me now, I’m 32 and still fighting for my life.

My senior year of high school, I was failing art class. When I tried to make the required flowerpot, it came out looking like a lopsided water pitcher. As funny as that was, I knew I had to take night classes to graduate from high school. So, that is what I did and I was able to walk across the stage to get my diploma.

My life goals after high school are to get my dream job, get married, and learn how to drive. My dream job is to become an administrative assistant.

I’ve learned I can do anything I set my mind to. I want to learn how to type without making mistakes. I want to get my dream job as an administrative assistant. I hope you will take to heart my story and learn to never give up on your life or your dreams.

Friday, April 7, 2017

2017 WorkLife Awards Honorees

Join The Arc San Francisco’s Business Advisory Council for the 2017 WorkLife Awards celebrating the work and life achievements of clients of The Arc and the employer-partners who champion their success. We are so proud of our honorees recognized for their achievements in the workplace and for the support of their employers. A round of applause for these amazing individuals and companies who will be recognized officially at the WorkLife Awards on May 4, 2017.

2017 Honorees

CLIENT AWARD WINNERS
Employee of the Year: Bryant Wong, Deloitte
New Employee of the Year: Shermaine Escobar, Boston Consulting Group
Core Values Award Winner: Anne Fu, Ghirardelli Chocolate
Intern of the Year: Mira Poon, Project Search, PG&E
Volunteer of the Year: Vadim Vahnshteyn, Muttville Senior Dog Rescue
EMPLOYER AWARD WINNERS
Employer of the Year: Morrison Foerster
New Employer of the Year: Airbnb
Volunteer Partner of the Year: Seton Medical Center
Industry Awards
Hospitality: Wag Hotels
Professional Services: Cyprus Security
Technology: Mixpanel
Anniversary Winners
THREE YEARS: Michael Look, DeMarcus Myles, Audrey Chien, Dawn Gray, Michelle Reyes, James Glanville, Garrett Sharp, Zelman Helmer, Willy Kwong, Ana Quechol, Elizabeth Leong, Ted Cruz, Sandra Sanchez, Chris Guinto, Susan Ngai, Michelle Yi, Irina Goldshlag, Emma Yungert, Jason Hitchcock, Latoya Mays, Terrell McClanahan, Guo Ren Guan, Jesus Garcia, and Joseph Perada
FIVE YEARS: Thomas Luong, Endora Lau, Jonathan Harrison, Gail Vaughn, Marie Castillo, Andrew Bixler, Cindy Ruiz, Eric Lin, and Robert Humphreys
TEN YEARS: Vincent Liang and Lily Louie
FIFTEEN YEARS: Amal Muniar
TWENTY YEARS: Eugene Lee, Dennis Lubitz, Gomer Padilla, Titor Sandee, and Wendy Wilson
TWENTY FIVE YEARS: Catherine Cogliandro

The WorkLife Awards are sponsored by The Arc San Francisco Business Advisory Council (BAC), a network of business professionals dedicated to creating more employment opportunities for clients of The Arc.