What started as a whisper of an idea in high school turned into a calling.

Name: Cesar

Role: Behavioral Health Tech

Family of Services: Pediatrics

“I had an experience that started me on this track and confirmed my direction: I saw first-hand how a co-worker with disabilities was treated and it really bothered me. I worked at a movie theater during the COVID-19 pandemic and we were having a hard time getting employees for the jobs we had open at the theater when we were ready to reopen. We had an employee who had some disabilities and had left her position at the theater for the duration of the pandemic as all employees were allowed to do. When she was ready to return, she was told there were no jobs, nothing for her to do at the theater. I saw it and heard it, I expressed my opinions to management but I didn’t have the power to advocate for her and change that outcome. That’s when I realized I had the passion for serving and impacting others.”

Cesar finished his undergrad degree in Rehab Sciences, and before starting on his Master’s for OT, began looking for a role that would give him experience working within the autistic community. But things were rocky at first, and he questioned if he had made the right decision.

Read more about Cesar’s story, and hear how his first two clients really ‘sealed the deal’ for the direction his career journey is taking him.