Rodney had a surface-level understanding of Seattle Goodwill’s mission thanks to his dad, Rodney Sr., who works for the organization. After Rodney spent last summer interning at Goodwill’s Seattle Job Training & Education Center (JTEC), he gained a whole new perspective on Goodwill’s community impact and gained skills that will benefit his future.

Rodney graduated from Federal Way’s Todd Beamer High School last spring and has since been focused on launching his professional life in a tough COVID-19 environment. A three-month Seattle Goodwill internship gave Rodney an important first look at what it means to be a professional in an office environment.

“The internship is a pretty good opportunity, especially if you are trying to see what work is like,” Rodney said. “You’re learning things, and you’ve got really supportive people there that want to help you grow and succeed in life.”

Rodney’s internship was in a technical support and program development role. He worked alongside Goodwill’s instructional technology trainer, solving technical problems for Goodwill students. He also prepared technology devices for new student and staff users. When he wasn’t completing IT projects, Rodney was helping research organizations Goodwill could potentially partner with.

Solving technical problems, Rodney said, was what he enjoyed most about his internship. He got to see the gratification on the faces of those he helped. The lessons he learned in his first work experiences were vast.

“I really learned how to work in a work environment,” Rodney said. “We had a week where interns and students were learning how to do interviews – the right way to do them. I learned different ways of helping people. Not everyone is tech savvy, so sometimes you have to be very patient with people and guide them through it. Goodwill can really help you get ready for life.”

Rodney is enrolled at Highline College, where he’s working toward getting his Associate of Arts degree before hoping to transfer to a four-year university to get his bachelor’s degree in business. He’s passionate about music and hopes to have a career in music business.