Katie's Story
Katie is a kind and bubbly person, but she always felt as though the world didn’t understand her. After struggling at college, her confidence was at an all-time low, but that all changed when she enrolled at Team Domenica…
Katie joined the programme fearful of getting things wrong or feeling out of place. However, the Team Domenica staff reassured her that she had the ability to achieve her goals, and that it didn’t matter if she made mistakes – together they could overcome any challenge. Through this support, Katie slowly regained her confidence and began to thrive.
After starting at Team Domenica, we all noticed the difference in Katie’s demeanour. She would come home full of excitement and was happy to talk about what she was doing – inviting everyone to come and have a coffee at their cafés.Jan, Katie’s mum
With this new lease of life, Katie began her work placements with local businesses, learning more about what she enjoyed and what worked for her. Then, in her second year, she started a supported internship at the Brighton i360. In this position, she took on many different roles such as selling and checking tickets, working in the gift shop and serving drinks in the boarding area.
With the help of her job coach and colleagues, Katie was soon able to get to grips with all of these tasks. And, whilst she sometimes struggled with her anxiety around failure, she was quickly able to develop strategies to help manage her fears.
Katie coped well with meeting new colleagues but talking to the public was initially a little more tricky. We worked on some stock phrases to overcome this and it wasn’t long before she was happy to ask them questions and answer queries. It was great to see her confidence develop.Kate, Katie’s Job Coach
After a time, Katie became so independent that she felt as though she no longer needed a mentor in the workplace. Team Domenica listened carefully to her wishes and her job coach began to withdraw her support. Katie had grown from a timid teenager, to a confident and hardworking young woman who believed in herself and her abilities.
Unsurprisingly, in Spring 2021, Katie was offered paid employment at the Brighton i360 – a job she continues to hold to this day. If she ever feels that she may not have done so well at work, Katie is able to attend Team Domenica’s ongoing mentor sessions, where she talks about any issues worrying her. In the coming months, Katie is set to gain training in the ‘pod’, meaning that she will be taking customers on flights and serving drinks in the skies!
We are so proud of Katie and all that she has achieved. With the help of Team Domenica, joy came back to her world; she found her old confidence and met new friends. The staff at Team Domenica saw Katie’s potential, boosted her self-esteem and supported her to get paid employment – I wish there was a Team Domenica in every area.Jan, Katie’s mum
Katie At Team Domenica
It’s hard to describe how proud I am for getting a job at the i360. It’s something I never thought I’d achieve, and now it just feels so amazing. In the future I hope to be able to build up my work schedule so I can save money to move out and live independently. My job will help me do this.
Katie, Team Domenica candidate
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