In just three years with Evergreen Goodwill, Tamera has accomplished major goals in her career and helped countless others do the same. And now, in her own words, “the sky’s the limit.”

Many Goodwill students and employees got a chance to know Tamera during her time working in administration at the King County Job Training and Education Center in Seattle. As she greeted colleagues and students arriving for class, Tamera said she began to grasp the full scope of Goodwill’s mission – and she discovered a vision for her place within the organization.  

“I want to grow, and there was opportunity to grow,” Tamera said. “There was a lot of growth that I saw within [the Job Training and Education Department.] I knew that’s where I wanted to be.”

Tamera later moved on to a role in the Career Works Medical Program, helping Goodwill students gain the skills they need to start a career in the healthcare industry. Now, she serves as an employee resource navigator with the company’s Fair Chance Pilot Program. The program helps break down barriers for people with a conviction history who are looking for employment at Goodwill. Tamera also helps employees in this program secure critical needs such as food, housing, and healthcare.

“It means a lot to be able to help people’s basic needs, and I see how much it means to them that someone cares enough to develop this program and have someone in place to help them,” Tamera said.  “I feel like just my love for people makes this mission more, it’s more than just a job.”

Her goal now is to continue pushing to remove barriers and connecting as many of her colleagues as possible to support services. She said she also hopes to make Goodwill a “safe haven” for its employees – with a sharper focus on equity and inclusion. 

“I want to be able to give them the tools they need to be more successful at their roles here at Goodwill,” said Tamera. “Anyone willing to grow, I want to make sure I’m there to support that.”

Tamera hopes her story will inspire current employees by showcasing the many opportunities that exist within Evergreen Goodwill and the people who are eager to help their careers flourish.

“If you go into a place, and they have a mission, sometimes you can recognize that their mission is different on the outside than what’s really on the inside,” Tamera said. “But here, the mission inside and the mission outside … it’s the same.”

For Tamera, devotion to service isn’t anything new. Both at work and at home, she expresses her commitment to giving back and helping people succeed.

Describing her dreams of pressing forward in her social service endeavors, Tamera has this reminder for anyone with aspirations for their future.

“Don’t always feel like you have to know the answer,” Tamera said. “Find all the people who can support you, and support your dream, and cling to those people to help you grow.”

If you or someone you know is interested in finding a career at Evergreen Goodwill, visit evergreengoodwill.org/jobs-at-goodwill.