Julie's Story

Sometimes a career path begins with a simple moment of discovery.

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When Julie started participating in Career Planning through Bridges Employment Services, the goal was to explore different types of work and learn what she enjoyed most. Julie, her mother, and the Bridges team talked about her interests and began visiting different places in the community.

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First, Julie explored cooking.
Then she spent time at the local library.

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Each experience helped Julie learn something new, but neither felt like the right fit.

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Then Julie visited a local flower shop.

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As soon as she began working with the flowers and ribbons, something clicked. Julie’s smile stretched across her face as she learned how to make a decorative bow for a floral arrangement. The florist patiently showed her each step and generously donated both time and materials so Julie could practice and learn.

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Julie wasn’t just learning how to work with flowers. She was discovering confidence and a new interest.

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During her visit, the florist also helped Julie learn an important workplace skill—how to calculate the cost of the arrangement she created and ring it up at the register. Understanding the value of a product and how to complete a sale is a meaningful part of many jobs, and it was a valuable learning experience for Julie.

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Today, Julie is excited about the possibility of becoming a florist.

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Through Career Planning, the Bridges team continues to support Julie as she explores this interest and considers what the next steps toward employment might look like.

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Experiences like this are an important part of Career Planning. They allow individuals to try new things, learn real-world skills, and discover work that feels meaningful to them.

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For Julie, a visit to a flower shop helped her see a new possibility—and her journey toward employment is just beginning.