Teshawn
19-year-old Teshawn exudes energy when he talks about plans to become a top performer in all that he sets his mind to. After reading the Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, he started waking up every day at 5:30 a.m. to strategize what he desires to achieve that day. He has written out his monthly and yearly goals and has found a mentor to help him stay accountable to himself and his goals.
Teshawn had a sports scholarship to the UCLA after he graduated from Waukegan High School in June 2017, but an injury changed his plans and future of attending UCLA. Teshawn began college classes locally and was looking for a part-time job when a former high school teacher recommended he speak with a career specialist at Lake County Workforce Development. Teshawn qualified for WIOA grant-funded services, and he began a paid work experience as a Payroll Service Specialist at Pro Data Payroll in August 2017. This comprehensive, on-the-job training, six-month internship introduced Teshawn to the world of finance.
After the internship, Teshawn worked short-term jobs in manufacturing and landscaping, but kept his eye out for new opportunities. He networked with a neighbor who had a business restoring old vehicles and offered to help him post cars for sale on Facebook. This ignited his passion for business marketing. Teshawn was eligible to receive WIOA grant funds to continue coursework toward his Associate Degree in Business Marketing at the College of Lake County. When Teshawn graduates from the College of Lake County in 2020, he will be the first person in his family with a college degree.
While in school, Teshawn works at Consumer’s Credit Union as a Member Experience Representative. In addition, he has started his own business — Scale & Grow Digital Marketing. Teshawn becomes animated talking about his first phone call to a small business owner to discuss his digital marketing services. The owner eventually scheduled a meeting and invited Teshawn to submit a proposal.
Teshawn has the right attitude to be a top performer as he recognizes that, “From every place that I’ve worked, I’ve taken knowledge from it.”