Dudley: Realizing His Goal of a Full-Time Job with Benefits
A graduate of the Lesley University Threshold Program and outgoing spokesperson for Best Buddies Jobs in Massachusetts, Dudley’s hard work and dedication to self improvement paid off.
“I had never been offered a full‑time job before.”
Dudley Williams III represents the epitome of a highly-successful Best Buddies Jobs participant. After graduating from the Lesley University Threshold Program several years ago, Dudley joined Best Buddies Jobs to work toward his professional goals. In a few short years, Dudley has become not only one of the strongest spokespersons for Best Buddies Jobs in Massachusetts, but has realized his own ultimate goal of having a full time job with benefits. Dudley is a very hard worker, dedicated to his own self-improvement, and a tireless advocate for employment for people with IDD.
For Dudley, life before finding employment was a bit challenging. “I was mostly doing just part-time jobs and I didn’t have a job that was utilizing me to my best potential,” he said. “My mom was connected to someone at Best Buddies. After I graduated from Lesley College in Boston, I wanted to get involved with the organization to build my confidence, meet new people, and get a full-time job. Since I started with Best Buddies in March 2012, I’ve grown professionally and personally. I worked part-time jobs at first ranging from a hotel, to schools, and the Boston Minority Business Development Agency Center as an office assistant.
“My life has changed dramatically. I’m more confident
in myself as a person and more independent at work.”
“My ultimate goal was to find a full-time job. I went for in for an interview at John Hancock in September and tried my best to answer the questions they asked me. I told them about my experiences in my previous jobs. I was very excited when I learned they wanted to hire me full-time because I had never been offered a full-time job before.
“My life has changed dramatically. I’m more confident in myself as a person and more independent at work. I’ve made new friendships as well. Now that I’ve achieved my goal of getting a full-time job, I want to improve my professional relationships and work on achieving some goals at my current job at John Hancock.”