Determination, a positive attitude, a smidge of stubbornness, and a little bit of help from EPIC Assist (EPIC) is all Nadya needed to score her first employment goal.
The 29-year-old Murwillumbah local had never worked before due to her disability, Hydrocephalus.
But that was not enough to stop Nadya from trying.
When Nadya knew the time was right, nothing could stop her.
Fast forward to now, Nadya has just passed the 3-month probation period at IGA, Tweed Valley Way.
To make her goal a reality, Nadya and her mother, Julie, decided to reach out to EPIC for a bit of assistance in navigating this new journey.
EPIC’s employment consultant Neil took the case and became the main point of contact, helping Nadya along her employment path.
“Nadya was definite that the IGA, Tweed Valley Way was where she wanted to work,” Neil said.
“She shopped there with her Mum and was familiar with the store, and it was conveniently located for them which was a bonus as Nadya’s Mum needed to drive her to work.
“Nadya said she was jumping out of her skin to find work and get out of the house,” Neil said.
Nadya remained solely focused on IGA, and, after two months, she landed a job trial.
“I came in one day and met Mark, the manager. I asked if there was any work experience I could do,” Nadya said.
“Mark said yep, no worries, happy to help.”
Before her first day, Neil went and visited Nadya to help prepare.
“I met with Nadya in Murwillumbah to buy some suitable shoes and pants for work. She was very excited for the work trial,” Neil said.
On her first day, Nadya was quite nervous, but as Neil explained, there was nothing to worry about.
“Nadya did particularly well. The employer had only good things to say about her. When I meet with Nadya now and I ask if she’s happy at work, she says one word: ecstatic!” said Neil.
“The staff are lovely; so friendly and gorgeous. I love them. They are like a second family,” Nadya said.
“This is a really great place to work.
“If you want to get into this kind of work, I recommend coming to IGA. I love it.”
If you are looking for a disability employment service that can help you realise your next big goal, contact our friendly team at EPIC Assist today.