Success Stories

After experiencing  a moderate cognitive disorder, Pat Valentine thought her working days were over. An administrative executive assistant for 40-some years, she was no longer able to do her job and began receiving disability benefits. Pat moved from the state of Washington to Minnesota to be closer to her sister.

When Jesse Skare sat down with Rise Employment Consultant Michelle Thompson to discuss his next career move, she asked him about his work values and how important they were to him. Jesse was clear that he valued having a real purpose by helping others, being able to express his talents

With aspirations of being a registered nurse some day, Crystal Peterson feels that she “was born to serve. God put it in my heart to do this job.”
As a direct caregiver for Compassionate Health Care, Crystal provides home care for seven elderly people who want to live in their

By Michael L. Sack
Growing up in Mapleton, a small town in south central Minnesota, Lauren Ireland enjoyed school and having fun with her friends, but was not really sure what she wanted to do in the future. Today, after a long journey, Lauren is grateful to have two good

Although people moving through Terminal 1 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport are often on their way to a fun (and at this time of year, WARM!) destination, there can still be a lot of stress in traveling. Sheila Morales and her teammates at the Caribou Coffee shop do their very

Jeremy Pomani is one of two featured artists whose 19 original art will be on display through February 8 at the Minneapolis American Indian Center. His work appears with another local artist, Tamara Aupaumut. A special reception was held November 16.
Jeremy took an art class in high school and

Minnesota is well-known for its extremes in seasonal climates – hot and humid in the summer and C-O-L-D in the winter. But neither end of the weather spectrum keeps Jaron Garland from riding his bike to Werner Electric’s distribution center in Cottage Grove where he does both maintenance work and

Employees at Meier Tool & Engineering, Inc.’s manufacturing plant in Anoka are proud of the custom tooling design, validation, and manufacturing work they do primarily for the medical and defense / aerospace industries. Managing upward of 250 different contracted parts, their work is innovative, precise, and of the highest quality.

Roger Samsa grew up in the small town of Oconto, Wisconsin, and moved to Cambridge in north central Minnesota in 2013 to be closer to his siblings. After three years of living with his brother, Roger was eager to move out on his own as well as enter the workforce.

There aren’t too many places in America busier than a McDonald’s restaurant at noontime. And the one located on West Orleans St. in Stillwater, just a few miles from the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, is certainly no exception.
Alice Kane handles the steady stream of hungry customers with welcoming and friendly efficiency.

Charlie Frye has his first official day of retirement on July 2 already planned out: he’s going to relax out by his backyard pool and maybe jump into the hot tub. Aahhhh….
Wait – what – RETIRE? Charlie’s retiring?
This quiet, hard-working, steadfast guy is not one much for big

Being a fun and vivacious young woman, it’s no surprise that Jenny Eickhoff loves to sign / sing and perform with Wingspan Life Resource’s Glee Club. Of the 20 or so members, she is the only one who is Deaf and interprets songs with American Sign Language (ASL).
At their

Jaime Richards always seemed to know just what she wanted and then advocate for herself to reach her goals.
Jaime first started working in Rise’s Day Training and Habilitation Sensory Support program in 2014 and very soon afterward began defining her career path.
Following her interest in computers, Jaime started

It’s a toss-up as to what is the best thing about LeeAnne Brown’s job as a teacher’s aide — working with “the best people on the planet” — OR — caring for “pure, innocent little babies who depend on you and connect with you in a wonderful way.”
Pick either

Working between 50 and 65 hours a week may sound grueling to most people. But driving a commercial truck in the Twin Cities metro area is a great job that Mike Jones is grateful to have and really enjoys. Mike has faced significant personal obstacles and tragedies throughout his life. […]

Little did Mata Sisomnuk dream that when she was hired as a cafe attendant within a few short months, she’d be learning to brew coffee at Starbucks! For a lover of specialty coffees even before she went to work for the country’s largest coffee house chain, this was beyond her […]

Having had many years of some really hard times, Darnell Jones can now confidently say that she feels she went through all of it for a reason. Despite her many “bumps and turns,” Darnell believes it all served a purpose for bringing her where she is today. For more than […]

Artists Heather Barber and H. (Heather) Leigh were the proud recipients of the Bill Murray Choice Award in the CoLab project at The Show Gallery Lowertown. The award was presented at the exhibit’s opening reception in downtown St. Paul on December 9. Each year, photos of pieces in the CoLab […]

Admittedly, Matt Monson has had a lot of jobs since he started working at the age of 13: machinist, pizza deliverer, carpet and flooring installer, carpenter, medical device assembler, to name just a few. But there is something special about Job #27 that he feels this may be a good […]

The Dalles House Restaurant and Lounge in St. Croix Falls has been an upscale, favorite dining location for generations of Wisconsinites and Minnesotans alike. It features classic American cuisine with a fun twist from the past. Those who work there are proud to carry on its long traditions of great

When Juliana Korkor moved from Ghana to the United States with her extended family in May 2016, she was determined to make a good life for herself in this new country. Despite having only an eighth-grade education and never having worked before, Juliana, who is 24, was motivated to improve […]

Opening the door to Woof Central in Richfield, one is greeted with the cacophony from dogs of all sizes, breeds, and barking abilities. About 75 dogs a day go there for doggie day care, boarding, training, and/or grooming. Having grown up on a farm with lots of animals in Pennsylvania, […]

It goes without saying that not many people have Hollywood movie roles or Calvin Klein modeling gigs on their resume, but Chad Dmytryszyn does. As a young child actor, Chad had bit roles in movies like Animal House and Sixteen Candles, and the TV hit show Miami Vice. He was […]

When Polly Philblad walks in the door to work at the Kwik Trip station in Brooklyn Park, her               co-workers are happy to see her. Polly, a part-time retail helper, works to keep the store nice for its hundreds of daily customers. The job can be physically demanding, but Polly likes […]

Initiative could be Erik Selseth’s middle name! (It’s not–it’s Nelson.) A quietly confident guy, he is comfortable speaking up for what he needs and wants to do to keep his career  moving forward. After working for nine years with a Rise team at Liberty Carton Co. in Brooklyn Park, Erik […]

Posted on Sep 05, 2017 Eric really enjoys the feeling of accomplishment when creating something with his own hands.  He learned his welding skills nine years ago when he was working at a heavy equipment manufacturing company in North Dakota. During the past three years, Eric has experienced some major obstacles […]

Posted on Aug 28, 2017
Ken Johnson is excited to put his analytical, problem-solving skills to work on different kinds of projects and help create solutions for Cummins Power Generation.

“My new position as a business analyst in the manufacturing supply chain is a great fit for me because it

Posted on Jul 27, 2017
Born in Ethiopia, Mikias Tilahun attended boarding school in the United Kingdom before moving to Minnesota in 2000 where he finished high school. He started work at Rise in 2003.

Mikias is always looking to improve his work  skills, and over the years, has held

Posted on Jun 26, 2017
Turning Sarah Lambert’s passion – her love of four-legged animals – into a business venture has resulted in Sarah’s Cat & Doggy Daycare in Fridley. She hopes to be “your best friend’s second best friend.”
With assistance from Rise’s Employment Consultant Amber Barnes and much-appreciated support

Posted on Jun 19, 2017 | Tags: |
When Rise Site Supervisor Diana Gangl was tasked with starting up a new work crew at Aggressive Industries, she knew that one of the three team members she needed to get the contract off to a great start was Alex Blaisdell. Diana knew she

Posted on May 17, 2017
In today’s workforce, it’s rare to find someone who reaches his or her 25th anniversary with one company. But when you love your work, are really good at it, and have great co-workers, the years on the job seem to fly by.
Brian Walsh celebrated his

Posted on May 17, 2017
At just 20 years old, Iftu Hassen traveled alone from her home in Ethiopia to Minneapolis to start a new life in the United States. She was both excited for the many possibilities America held for her, but sad to leave her mother behind.
Iftu’s father

Posted on May 15, 2017
With his booming voice and signature purple or pink polo shirt, Shawn Lovejoy is hard to miss in a crowd. Yet the one thing that makes Shawn stand out even more is his outgoing and uplifting personality.
“I’m basically a happy-go-lucky, positive kind of guy,” said

Posted on May 08, 2017
Cory Frank’s career exploration started seven years ago when he attended a vocational skills training program at Ridgewater College in Willmar for people with disabilities. The program helped Cory hone his job skills to secure a competitive job.
During the program, he had the opportunity to

Posted on May 01, 2017
 
“Writing is cathartic for me,” said Hilary Lowell. “It gives me great joy to be able express myself — my feelings about people important in my life, my injury. My poetry gives me a voice.”
A well-educated and published author, Hilary suffered a traumatic

Posted on May 01, 2017
When Chantilly Lynch graduated from Minneapolis South High School in 1995, she was not exactly sure what she wanted to do next. To discover her job interests, Chantilly had the opportunity to train and work in several clerical jobs at community businesses through her school district’s

Posted on Mar 27, 2017
Erik Lindman is a man on the move at Creative Partnerships North in Crystal where he has received day training and habilitation services for the past six years.
Erik, who will be 41 in May, is an industrious guy and loves to help with whatever he

Posted on Feb 27, 2017
 
To say that Lyle Wedebrand has worked in a number of companies throughout his 23 years at Rise is an understatement. But unlike some people who tend to job-hop, Lyle moves around a lot because he’s good at what he does and Rise production

Posted on Feb 21, 2017
 
HAVING LIVED IN various refugee camps throughout Africa since he was a child, Pierre Gatera dreamed of offering his three children a better life – one of hope, security, and accomplishment.
Pierre’s parents escaped Burundi to Rwanda where they lived as refugees until 1994.

Posted on Feb 20, 2017
 
MOST MINNESOTANS KNOW that if they are looking to purchase home appliances, they will likely find just what they need at a Warners’ Stellian Appliance store. Family-owned since 1954, they offer quality products, installation, and service.
As an administrative assistant / receptionist at the

Posted on Feb 20, 2017
 
HAVING SUCCESSFULLY worked as a machinist since 1977, Bruce Hixon was dismayed when the company he had been working for close to 25 years closed abruptly after 9/11 as the manufacturing industry began to struggle.
Skilled and motivated, Bruce had worked hard to build his

Posted on Feb 13, 2017
 
Just when most of her peers are thinking about retiring, Mary Richards is hoping to start a new career and is pursuing her job search in earnest.
“I’d much rather be working than at home feeling sorry for myself,” she said. “Everyone needs to

Posted on Jan 30, 2017 | Tags: |
 
Briana Bergeron’s ability to quickly learn new job tasks and her solid work ethic make her a valued employee at the Taco John’s restaurant in Forest Lake where she has worked three days a week since July 2016.
Equally appreciative of

Posted on Jan 17, 2017 | Tags: |
At the end of his work day at Rise, nothing makes Lane Mooney happier than to tinker in his make-shift work shop in the corner of Mark and Sarah Gustafson’s barn in Champlin. There, whatever has wires, lights, or electrical components – is of

Posted on Nov 29, 2016
 
Breanne Miller was determined to find a job working with kids – one through which she could bring joy to their lives. And what a better job than as a ride operator at Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America!
Breanne was so excited

Posted on Aug 29, 2016
 
Nearly 200,000 Minnesota Vikings fans descended upon the new U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis the weekend of July 23-24 to get their first up-close look at one of the finest sports venues in the country.
Mike Hill was one of many guest experience