Lucas
Lucas was actively involved in Boy Scouts of America and played soccer throughout his high school years. After receiving his High School Diploma, Lucas attended classes at McHenry County College for two years in hopes of obtaining a degree in Criminal Justice.
Substance abuse led Lucas down a dark path that ended in multiple convictions including forgery, burglary and drug possession charges. After being released, Lucas struggled to find employment due to his past convictions and substance abuse. He viewed himself as being worth nothing because of his past convictions. It was not until Lucas was working with his sponsor for AA, that he had an eye-opening experience. His sponsor mentioned that Lucas is one of the most selfish people he has ever worked with. Lucas did not consider himself selfish, but noticed it was driven by his substance abuse. He wanted to change and become a more selfless person.
Seeking assistance from McHenry County Workforce, Lucas attended several work readiness workshops for job seekers with criminal records. He received a certificate for attending all the workshops endorsed by McHenry County Workforce, McHenry County College and Society of Human Resource Managers. After a temporary Work Experience position, Lucas was offered a full-time machine operator position in a WIOA “On-the-Job Training” program.
Lucas says, “The best decision I made for myself was recognizing that as much as I wanted to start work and make money, I could not keep a job or better myself if I did not first work on myself in regards to my substance abuse.” Lucas is currently working full-time for Guys E. Paper in Woodstock and has plans to attend college for a certificate in Industrial Maintenance and Robotics.