Shyanne first learned about The Coffee Oasis at her school, Discovery Alternative High School, when a Coffee Oasis job training coach and youth outreach worker came during lunch. They shared about the job training program, and Shyanne signed up on the spot.

The first part of the job training program included six job training classes.

“It felt like a refresher and then learning the other stuff I didn’t know was really helpful. I learned that too much eye contact is a thing. I learned about mirroring. I did better in my second interview because of the classes. I knew how to fit my resume to a job specifically.”

The next part of the program was a 100-hour job internship.

She worked at a local restaurant as the barback. During her internship, Shyanne would come down to the drop-in center to hang out. “I could get something to eat before I started my shift. I would walk all the way down Mile Hill from Discovery and would hang out.”

She shared that interning there was really fun. “I have three plans for my future-I want to be a band teacher, run a bakery, or run a squid bar (a bar frequented by folks in the Navy). It gave me the inside of what it would be like to run a bar. They become regulars, and I learned how close you can get with your customers. We even had some customers who would come in and bring us fresh baked goods.”

“It makes me feel like I know what I’m doing when I walk into a business. I know more about what I’m doing when I’m job searching. I used to just fill out a bunch of applications and leave it at that. Now I know it’s more of sending thank you letters for looking at my resume or meeting with me. It makes me more confident personally meeting the hiring manager.”

Shyanne is now working with a Coffee Oasis case manager to find a new job and save up to pay off her car. She recently applied to a local coffee shop and just finished the interview process.

Story Written by: Caryn Wright // Written: 08/14/24